Severed Teammate
by FallenWing21
Summary: Branded with the newest and much more efficient curse mark, Sakura's mind is slowly being eaten away. When she suddenly joins with the Akatsuki, to what extents will the Uchiha and the Uzumaki go to bring back their former teammate?
1. Prologue: Passing

**"Inner Sakura" **

Hi guys! Well, I'm making a new story and this laptop is being a slow meanie...it's taking forever cause there's like 22 MB or something in this single chapter. Ha! Okay, this new Naruto story, I"m just giving it a shot so please tell me what you think of it after reading!

_Prologue: Passing_

_I was once a bud back then, not knowing what could happen in the blink of an eye, standing frozen; useless. The three of them have always been there to protect me from anything and I thank them for it, but somehow it's gotten out of hand. It seems like all they think of me during a fight is "protect!" They hurt themselves, just to save me from getting hurt myself. I've caused them so much pain and annoyance, that they do it before I can act. Well, no more of that! _

_Today was the day: the three of them are gonna watch from the sidelines, not moving a muscle as I tackle down the most important test of my life._

_The Jounin Exams._

_It was finally time for me to go up and beyond the level of a Chunin; I wanted to become something more to them, something more than a best friend and a girl to protect. I wanted to be able to fend for myself and _prove _it. I've studied hard with Lady Tsunade, becoming stronger each day and learning knowledge of the medical world, beyond belief. About a week before the exams, I trained with the Hokage from morning, till night, working my new techniques and learning to not just use my chakra, wasting it all. _

_She taught me that you need to use something other than those chakra filled punches; something like taijutsu. So, for hours on end, I used taijutsu, using the strength I had (not chakra filled) to whip through the air, breaking boulders and wooden posts. _

"_Excellent Sakura," She praised, walking towards me with a hand on her hip. She held a satisfactory grin on her impressed face, putting a hand on my shoulder. Panting for air, I smiled back at her through the breath's, happy that I had accomplished so much._

"_Now, moving on," She said, her serious face stretching back on to her face. My face contorted with surprise as she turned around._

"_You know what it feels like to be in a genjutsu right?" Tsunade asked, facing her apprentice with hardened eyes._

"_Hai!" I replied straightening my stance, fists clenched. _

"_Well, at those Jounin Exams there will be shinobi who have cruel tricks up their sleeves. Keep an open eye out for suspicious things, if you feel it's a genjutsu; get out of it immediately. I assume you can handle that without a problem," She smirked, looking down on her pink haired prodigy. _

"_Of course, Hokage-sama!" I replied once again with a nod. A simple genjutsu shouldn't be a big problem. _

"_You _are _my student, I _know _you'll pass this from all the hard work you've been doing these past years since Sasuke and Naruto came back." She said with a small smile on her face, also remembering the two boys in her past. _

"_I'll do my very best!" I said with my chin up, meeting her strong gaze. The Hokage's lips turned upward, becoming a bright smile._

"_Very well Sakura, the exams are in a few days, I want you and the Rookie 12 to spar with each other, taking turns. I want your stamina to be at its best level, not lowering for even a second! You understand?" She suddenly started yelling, running at her student, preparing to strike. _

_Seeing the opening, I ducked on her first punch and struck into her side, sending her sliding back. Jumping back, I avoided thrown branches and pulled out kunai from my shuriken pouch, launching them at her opponent with precision. Tsunade dodged it easily and disappeared into thin air. Dazed for a moment, I knew exactly where she was, jumping forward to avoid her sky kick. The ground cracked underneath my feet, making me stumble. _

_Leaping to an area where it was firm, I put a hand to a tree, catching my breath when I heard something rustle beside me. Pulling a kunai out quickly, I jumped away from there, only to have a sandal find itself in the center of my back, shoving me forward. I was met face down on the ground as Tsunade sat down on top of my back, grinning as she looked down at me. _

"_Well, I can see that things are going well here." That calm and smooth voice belonged to Kakashi Hatake, my sensei. He held in his hand, the always here, Icha Icha Paradise._

"_Sensei!" I called out, a smile on my face. The masked man met my eyes, a bright spark in them. From underneath his mask, I saw his lips move upward into a smile._

"_Sakura," He said simply, tilting his head in acknowledgement. The weight off her back lifted and she got to her feet, coughing and dusting the dirt and dust off her uniform. Tsunade stood beside her, a hand on her hip as the old sensei sauntered over quietly. _

"_So, is my always cheerful student ready for the exams?" He asked with a raise of his eyebrow. The Hokage snorted and rolled her eyes at him, placing an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer._

"_Of course she is! She is my apprentice and I am positive that she will pass! You've seen her progress as well, you ought to know Hatake," She said in a deadly voice as she became protective of her only student. The teacher put his hands up in submission and laughed nervously._

"_Yeah, yeah, well I better be going. Oh and Sakura," I perked my head up as I heard my name, seeing the Sharingan user staring at me with hard, flickering, gray eyes. _

"_Yes?" I asked, my eyebrows rising up. _

"_Watch yourself during the exams. People can get pretty brutal in the last stage." Was the last thing he said before disappearing in a puff of smoke. _

"_You heard him Sakura," Tsunade now said, turning to face me._

"_I know, it's the most important test and I should watch everything carefully." I replied, knowing the words by heart. It was originally stated by Kakashi when he let me join the tests. _

"_Exactly," The Fifth Hokage said with a grin, clapping me on the shoulder in approval. "Just remember, we're out there cheering for you. I'm pretty sure that Sasuke and Naruto will be there as well, watching your performance. Heh, are you happy that they won't protect you during the exams?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrow, leaning in towards her student._

"_Hell yeah! It's gotten really annoying on how they always do that, Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke _especially," _I replied, a fierce look on my face. My master laughed and we walked back to the village, talking._

"_There's my young pupil." She said with a shake of her head as I ranted on and on about how those three guys always gets in front of me somehow and blocks the blow. _

_Passing_

_FLUSH! I washed my hands in the bathroom and ran a hand through my pink hair, looking at myself in the mirror. The first two parts of the test weren't that bad, just some running around and some answering. However, this _last _part seemed to be the hardest, stated from Anko. She said that she would explain what it would be as soon as the bell for the last part rang. _

_Exiting the bathroom, I walked through the halls, seeing unfamiliar faces, yet some familiar. I saw some people from Konoha like Tenten who is also trying to become a Jounin. Neji had trained her over the edge, leaving her with an ultimate anger against him. She promised him that she'd somehow get revenge. I also saw Ino as well, though she looked kind of worn out from the first two, I knew that she wasn't ready to give up just yet. _

_Smirking at the thought, I made my way to the testing room where we were supposed to meet. Seeing a sign, I approached it and took a look: _

_**MEETING ROOM SWITCHED.  
>HEAD TO THE ARENA FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.<br>-ANKO**_

_Narrowing my eyes, I took a step forward and placed a hand on the sign, gliding my hand over the writing. Then, I leaned forward and took hold of the door knob, quietly pushing the door open to take just a peek. Smiling in realization, I stepped in and shut the door silently behind me, looking up at the shinobi standing alone up on the stage. _

"_So, you saw through it huh? Well, can't blame you, you _are _the Hokage's apprentice so…" Anko trailed off her sentence with a grin as she ate a stick of dango. Glancing around I saw that no one was here yet, did they actually-?_

"_Did the others actually _fall _for it?" I asked, bewildered. Anko tilted her head to the side, thinking, then she shrugged nonchalantly. _

"_Some, but those were just the weak ones. There are much more people here with observing abilities far beyond what you can expect. And you're going to have to fight one of them." Anko briefly explained as she stuck the last dango stick in her mouth, sliding it out and placing it on the stack of empty trays of previously eaten dango._

_Taking a seat in a nearby table, I thought of my techniques and battle tactics when the door opened wide, the sign that Anko wrote fluttering off. A hand shot out and caught the drifting paper, crumpling it in his hands. Then with a slight squeeze, the paper in his hands burst into flames, turning into ash. Whipping his hand to the side, the ashes fell to the ground, disappearing. Behind him were other shinobi, all with menacing looks on their faces. _

_I studied the one who just made the sign burn up in flames. The symbol on his forehead protector was one from the Hidden Village of Cloud. That's where the fire came from. The ninja had a scowl on his handsome yet frightening face. He had no color in his eyes that they looked almost clear, but seeing a few gray flecks in them, I knew that that couldn't happen._

"_Well! You seem to have seen it." Anko said loudly as she crossed her arms over her chest. The group of ninja's stepped in, all filing to the desks and sitting at them, frowns of anger expressed all over their faces. The shinobi who burned the sign was still standing there, his gray flecked eyes flickering. _

"_You tricked us," He said in a low yet attractive voice. Closing her eyes, Anko smiled and nodded, letting her arms fall to her sides._

"_And you're mad about that? All I did was get rid of a few more people for you so there wouldn't be that many for you to fight." A kunai flew straight at her face and she caught it right before it hit her directly in the middle of her eyebrows. Flinging it to the side, she opened her eyes, now physically angry. Her pupil-less eyes narrowed in rage as she stared down the teenager from the Country of Lightning._

"_Now listen!" She snapped, catching the attention of everyone. I also noticed that I was the only girl left. I guess they got caught in Anko's trick. Facing the Jounin, she looked scary and her personality was exactly like a snake. The emotion she showed just now was the snake coiling up in a circle to strike. _

"_This last part of the test is going to be the most difficult of them all. All your goals here are to _survive _and become a Jounin. If you are either knocked unconscious or killed, you are disqualified. Now, the test itself…is to fight each other," Chatter erupted around the room, low murmurs of worry or anger. Anko stomped down on the wood below her feet, hearing it crack like a whip. The shinobi turned their attention back to her in astonishment. Her personality was absolutely shocking. _

"_Exactly, this seems exactly like the Chunin exams. Hahaha! Well no. It's not at _all _like that. What the difference is this test is that you're all going to fight each other…at once." Anko grinned and took a step back as yelling exploded around the room._

"_What? I can't fight them! They're my friends!" Someone _dumb _enough to say that yelled in exasperation. I watched Anko shrug and narrow her eyes at the person who said it._

"_Too bad, you'll have to either kill them, or just get out of here, disqualified." She stated sharply, with her eyes closed. _

"_What? No! I can't leave!" The shinobi yelled in complaint. Anko leaned forward in anger and appeared by the ninja's side in a second. He flinched in surprise and was pinned against the wall with a kunai pointed at his neck. _

"_You've just decided your faith for yourself. Leave. Now." Anko snarled, thrusting her hand to the door. The talking ceased as the now silent shinobi lowered his head in shame and walked through the crowd of people._

"_Nice job," One of them whispered followed by a snicker. Anko then appeared back on the stage, her usual personality back on. _

"_Okay! Prepare your battle tactics and plan while making your way out into the arena! I'll meet you out there in a few minutes." She said before disappearing in a puff of smoke. As the shinobi filed out, the teen from the Country of Lightning turned around, meeting my eyes. He smirked and it reminded me of someone I knew so well; Sasuke._

"_I'll see you out there, Konoha nin," He smirked again and left the room, bringing the cool he had with him. It wasn't just his cool that was unnerving, it was the way he burned the sign into a crisp. He seemed to be a tough opponent, just by a glance. He held that powerful look in his eyes, giving it that cold glare. _

_I stood up and thought about my plans. Everything had gone right so far; I believed that I passed the first two. But will I make it out of this last one? Everyone I know out there is counting on me to become a Jounin, but will I even come back alive? _

"_Forget it, they can't jump in and protect me now. I have to fend for myself, just like I promised I'd prove to them." Making my way out to the arena, I was met with a loud chorus of cheers as Leaf's only entry walked in. There were thousands of people, depending on me to show Konoha honor in becoming a Chunin. _

_I lined up with the other Chunin and kept a confident face on, sure I could do this. Glancing up, I scanned the crowd real quick and spotted my friends and sensei's sitting near each other, all calling out Konoha's name._

_Right! I am doing it for them! I'll show them that I can become stronger and aide them! Facing my opponents we all stood in a circle, looking at each other's faces, seeing who would go first. Mine happened to land on the one from a few minutes ago. I glared at him, my fists clenching and all he held was a smug frown. _

_Anko suddenly appeared in the middle of the circle, another dango in her hand. She held a tray of it in her other hand, enjoying it. _

"_Okay guys! You are all finally proceeding onto the last stage of the Jounin exams! And, the time to start and fight is…" We all positioned ourselves into our fighting stances and heard the crowd become quiet. I tightened the gloves on my hands and had my hand near my kunai pouch. _

"_NOW!" _

_Passing_

"_They're starting!" Naruto excitedly said as he watched his best friend jump away from instantly thrown kunai, jumping into the few trees that were around. _

"_Shut up Naruto, Sakura needs to concentrate, she can't do that without you yapping your mouth all the time," He said in a deadly voice, glaring at the blonde haired teen. The ninja turned to his chicken haired friend and narrowed his eyes._

"_Same goes for you," He whispered, a smirk appearing on his lips. Sasuke scowled and whacked his on the back of the head, seeing a huge bump come out of it and watching Naruto grip his head in pain._

"_Dobe," The jinchuuriki hissed as he raised his head to watch the fight. She had no idea that they were Jounin's as well. They wanted to surprise her by telling her once she passed. A hand found itself on both of the strong ninja's shoulders and they turned to see their sensei with narrowed eyes, a cold glare. He only did that when there was trouble. _

"_Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, an eyebrow raised up in question. _

"_Looks like Sakura's going to have a hard time in this test," He said, pointing to the fight that was going on in the arena below. The two teens faced back to the battle, trying to find their pink haired friend. She was nowhere to be seen. _

"_Where is she?" Sasuke asked to his companions, his muscles tensing up. Kakashi squeezed his shoulder and he snapped his head to him in surprise. _

"_Calm down Sasuke, I'm sure she'll be-no Sasuke!" He said in a shocked voice as he saw his student's onyx eyes turn into the Sharingan, scanning the arena. _

"_Ergh, there's too many people. I can't locate which exact chakra's her's." He replied, his onyx eyes returning as he took a glance to his best friend. He had a knowing and faithful look on his face as he waited for his friend to come out victorious. _

_Maybe he should have faith in people more._

_Passing_

_Jumping up into the dense trees, I watched as ninjas from around the world chased each other down, either killing them or knocking them seriously unconscious. Ooh, that would put them in a coma for about a week…I made a face as I saw one fall to its knees, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. As much as I wanted to help him out, I could _not _afford to let those medical skills to come out. I am in a fight, not taking care of patients! _

_**Take this seriously Sakura! **__My Inner Sakura yelled at me, telling me to get a grip. Blinking out of my daze, I realized from the suddenly decreasing strong presences of chakra that they were getting taken down one by one. Anko said that the goal here was to survive, but also win and become a Jounin. Clenching my fists I felt that cold and powerful chakra somewhere on the other side of the arena. I bet it was him, taking out all those people, looking for me. _

_**Well, what the hell does he want? **__My other personality questioned her words loud and true in my head. No matter, I had to take this guy out in order to survive, so far she had taken down a lot, decreasing their numbers bit by bit. Glancing around the corner of the trunk, I saw movement and heard running footsteps, quick as lightning and caught a glimpse of sleek, silver hair and saw a ninja with a barrage of kunai's in his back, face down on the ground. _

_The person standing over him had silky, smooth dark brown hair and was holding a deep scowl. Widening my eyes, I realized that it was him. I couldn't meet up with him yet, I had to make sure he was last or-_

"_Finally, I found you Konoha ninja," His words broke my thoughts as I saw him slightly turn from his position, his clear eyes scanning the trees with a cold expression. Not making a sound, I turned and jumped through the trees, popping up through the top. I heard the clangs of kunai's hitting against each other from areas of the stadium, but when I heard the soft whoosh nearby, I pulled out a kunai and whirled around, the weapon barely saving my life from a long, silver katana. _

_Flying back from the force, I leaped back to the clearing where everyone could see me and released the kunai from my steel grip, seeing the handle of it, bent in little places. It clattered to the ground and disintegrated to pieces. Gasps were heard from the crowd as I watched the katana, shimmering with a coat of lightning. I quickly stuck my hands in my shuriken pouch and thrust them forward, rushing in with eight kunai in my hands, adding it to the barrage as well. _

_ZAP! I covered my face as I felt a gust of static electricity hit me with a wave, the weapons I threw hitting the ground. Putting my hands down, I gritted my teeth on pain as little shocks of lightning made my fingers twitched. The ninja from the Country of Lightning smirked and twirled a kunai in his hand._

"_Hmp, you call yourself a ninja? You're more of a disgrace to this village, not being able to become a Jounin. Oh and, you do know that you are the only one left?" He asked, glancing around for a moment. _

_I could feel the gazes of everyone around, depending on me to win, hating the guy who just insulted the Hokage's apprentice. Narrowing my eyes, I clenched my fists and remembered my training. Now was the time to use it. It was the _only _time if I didn't want to die. _

"_Go Sakura!" I heard my friends cry out in unison, cheering me on. One voice reached my ears, jolting me back to the fight that was in front of me. Naruto. _

"_So, is he one of your-" His words were cut short as I appeared under the blade of the katana, delivering a strong uppercut, not chakra filled, watching him slowly move backwards before summoning my chakra into my clenched fist, not tight but packed. I slammed the knuckles into his stomach, hearing some ribs break. _

_Blood spewed out of his mouth as he flew back, wide eyed into the trees, the impact of the force breaking them in half. Running fast, I picked up a tree and swung it at him, eventually throwing it at his surprised face. I heard the loud cheers of the crowd as they rooted for me, telling me I could win._

"_YEAH SAKURA!"_

"_YOU GO GIRL! KICK THAT GUY'S ASS!" _

_Rolling my eyes, I knew that it was Ino who said that. Standing in the surrounding dust, I could feel the lightning user's chakra surrounding me. Sending my chakra to my feet, I exploded off the ground, just before I saw the circle of lightning joining together. _

_I sent a kunai down at a bewildered shinobi, blocking it with the katana. Landing down about twelve feet away, I smirked as he walked through the smoke, his eyes narrowed. He rubbed his side, making a pained face before switching back to his cold and stoic one. _

"_My turn," He state simply before disappearing. Even before I could detect his chakra, I felt sharp pain in my shoulder, the sword plunging in. Scrunching my eyes in pain, I shoved the katana out and whirled around, sending taijutsu kicks and punches at the guy, each holding up our end. I panted, taking a step back and putting a hand to my shoulder, feeling the wet sticky liquid drip down my arm. _

_**Are you just gonna stand there? Fight back ! You're stronger than him! You've been trained by the Hokage! Beat this bastard to a pulp! **__Inner Sakura bellowed, her voice echoing in my ears. Breathing deeply, I brought my hands together and made a seal, hearing that sound as I felt the wound close up. They certainly didn't say anything about healing in the instructions. Of course, Anko said that there were no rules. So, I'm sure this is perfectly fine. _

_I could feel his chakra, strong but faint, circling me. It was that move again. Closing myself eyes, I focused trying to locate where he really was. When I heard the buzzing of the lightning, I flipped backwards and hit the ninja square in the face with the heel of my boot, sending him into the ground. Hearing him groan, I whirled around and picked up by the scruff of his uniform, bringing his face close to mine._

"_**Do I look much of a disgrace now?" **__I hissed, letting him go and appearing behind him, hitting his pressure point with two strong fingers. His knees gave out and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell to the ground, unconscious. _

_I stumbled back and looked up at the crowd, hearing them cheer for me. I spotted Team 7 and saw their the proud looks on their faces, happy. However, my vision suddenly blurred and my knees almost gave out when an arm caught me._

"_Great job, kid." Anko's voice whispered in my ear as I opened my eyes, my hand to the side of my head._

"_Thanks," I replied, giving her a weak smile. _

"_You're a Jounin now, like me." She added, walking me back to the infirmary, the echoes of the crowd growing softer as we entered the building._

"_I'm happy, and relieved that I passed." I replied sighing._

"_Haha! Tsunade worked you down to the bone!" Anko laughed cheerfully, as she led me into the infirmary, letting me sit down. _

"_Congrats on making it. I'm pretty sure that your friends are going to be here any second, coming to congratulate you." Smiling in relief I closed my eyes._

_I passed the exams; finally. _

_End of Prologue_

I thank you for looking at this first chapter/prologue to this story! Please leave a review so I may know what you thought of this! Thanks again! Hoped you liked it, I'll have another chapter up soon!

-FallenWing21


	2. Chapter 1: Oblivious

Chapter 1: Oblivious

Opening my eyes from a dizzying headache, I sat up in my seat, coming out of my lying position with my back bent. No one was in the room at the moment, and it seems that Anko left an empty plate of dango on the medical table full with instruments. Standing up, I steadily took the tray and dumped it in the trash when the infirmary door slammed open and in came a cheerful and happy Naruto.

"Sakura-chan!" He said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders in that missing and happy way.

"Naruto," I let out in a surprised voice as he pulled back grinning. I glanced over his shoulder and saw an out of breath Sasuke and a raised eyebrow Kakashi and smiled back at her best friend.

"We saw you stumble a bit so we came running right over, are you okay Sakura-chan?" The blonde haired boy asked as he tilted his head to the side, his bright blue eyes filled with concern. I grinned and looked at my friends, my hands linked behind me.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be? I just became a Jounin," I replied, seeing Naruto smile back and Sasuke's eyes soften.

"We've got something to tell you too, Sakura-chan!" The always energetic Naruto said as he pulled Sasuke up to him, his arm around his shoulder. That earned him a death glare from the quiet Uchiha as I waited for whatever was coming. I took a quick glance at Kakashi and saw a look of mischief in his gray eye.

"Dobe here and I are Jounin's too!" Those words were like a dead weight against my shoulders. I blinked away the astonishment as easily as it came and gave the two of them a fake smile. I felt Kakashi's gaze on me, but didn't acknowledge it, looking at the two teens actually smiling.

"That's great! Why don't we go celebrate?" I suggested, glancing at a wide eyed Kakashi. Naruto whirled around and grinned, hoping to eat at Ichiraku's for a treat.

"Yeah! I can go invite everyone to celebrate right now!" Naruto said as he ran off before an astonished sensei could stop him. I chuckled as my old sensei sighed at his growing blonde haired student.

"You're wallet's gonna be empty by the time you step out of Ichiraku's," I said as I organized my stuff on the medic table, putting my things back into the shuriken pouch then strapping it back on. Turning around, I spotted a slumped over Kakashi, the color of doom spreading around him as his wallet faced emptiness.

"So Sasuke, are you going to Ichiraku's too?" He noticed that she dropped the suffix "-kun" off his name and closed his eyes calmly, shrugging nonchalantly. However, he was wondering what had happened, what made her drop the suffix he used to find so annoying.

"Well then, if you're going, I'll see you there! Kakashi-sensei," I neared him by the door and met his eyes, smiling. "Be careful with your wallet," I warned walking past him and into the direction where Naruto ran off a few moments ago.

_Oblivious_

"It seems as though something seemed to have happened since you returned, huh Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, turning to his favorite student. The black raven haired teen leaned against the wall, his katana tapping against it. He opened his eyes and met his teacher's, a hardened look in them.

"Yes, it does seem that way." He replied, making his way out the door.

"Are you planning to go to the celebration?" The Sharingan user asked from the doorpost. All he received in reply was a flick of Sasuke's hand as he made his way out of the arena and into the village.

Sighing, he looked out the window and stared up the clouds. _They're just like Rin, Obito and I back then _he thought, smiling. He lowered his gaze and saw the crowd of Rookie 12 all grouped together with Naruto in the middle, chatting up a storm. They all had excited looks on their faces and soon were jumping up and down, cheering.

Realizing what Naruto must've said to them, he face palmed and started to make his way out of the infirmary, knowing that in a few hours, his wallet would be a barren wasteland.

Back to Sakura

I can't believe it. They're Jounin's and they…they kept it from me? But then that means that they'll be there to protect me again! I became a Jounin to _stop _this problem!

"Wait," I whispered, stopping in my tracks for a second. Maybe they just became Jounin's so they could be with me. Smiling, I silently thanked them so I wouldn't be alone during missions, maybe. Hearing loud cheers, I turned and saw the entire Rookie 12 laughing as Naruto spread the news.

"C'mon let's go look for her!" I heard Tenten exclaim excitedly, her fist up in the air. Everyone agreed and turned right exactly in the direction of where I was. Everything froze in that second, just stares going all around. Then Kiba howled and pointed at me, Akamaru wagging his tail.

"FOUND HER!" Then, within a second, I was crowded with my friends excitedly chattering on how awesome I did in Jounin exams. I laughed with a cheerful expression on my face as all my problems faded away, turning into an enjoyable time.

"Awesome job Sakura!" Tenten congratulated with a smile on her face.

"Thanks! So I'm guessing you guys all know the news?" Sounds of confusion echoed through her friend's mouths, all eyes pointing towards Naruto.

"You _did _tell them..riiiiight?" I murmured, taking a step close to the confused blonde haired teen.

"OH! Thanks Sakura-chan!" He said, nodding at me with a bright smile. "You guys are all invited to the celebration of Sakura become a Jounin at Ichikaru's tonight! Kakashi-sensei is paying so it'll be fine! Bring EVERYONE!" Naruto announced loudly, his fists up in the air in excitement.

We all cheered, joining our fists with his, smiles on our faces. I met each other their eyes: Neji's opaque ones, Tenten's bright brown eyes, Lee's sparkling black ones, Kiba's mischievous ones, Hinata's kind ones, Shino's glasses, Ino's pretty blue eyes, Chouji's squinted eyes, Shikamaru's bored ones, and Naruto's flickering blue ones.

"See you guys tonight then!" Naruto said as he waved goodbye to his comrades as they made their ways back to their homes, either going to invite their sensei's or just to talk before the celebration.

I walked down the clearing street with Naruto, talking about the old times, and laughing. We remembered our teachings with a very confusing Kakashi-sensei and when Naruto was tied to the post, not able to eat lunch.

"We've really grown a lot haven't we Naruto?" I asked, a smile on my face as the sky turned a light orange from the setting sun. The one day to be Hokage teen grinned and nodded his head, agreeing.

"Everyone's changed! Well maybe not you-"A fist came down on his head as my eye twitched in annoyance. He yelled in pain as I pulled my hand away, clutching his head as a lump formed.

"Idiot, I have changed! More than you know!" I retorted, eyes blazing with anger. Naruto tilted his head in confusion and put a finger to his chin.

"Really, since when?" He asked in that childish, not knowing way. Groaning, I brought my hands up to my head, looking up at the sky in irritation.

"Tell me Sakura-chan!" Naruto pleaded in that annoying voice of his. Shaking my head, I stalked off; my fists clenched and made my way back home to change.

"Forget it!" I snapped back, leaving Naruto in the slightly empty streets. I felt a bit guilty but for him not to _completely _notice made me unforgivably angry! Slamming my apartment door, I stood behind it; my back leaned against the wall, a tear hitting the floor, just that single tear.

"He doesn't know exactly how _much _I've changed," I whispered, brushing my eyes quickly and pulling my closet doors open to reveal two sets of my uniform and about dozens of kimono's and dresses. Taking out a kimono that I liked most, I went over to my mirror and took out matching pins and laid them next to the kimono.

"I just hope he realizes it soon," I added, heading into the bathroom to change.

_Oblivious_

"Oi! Kakashi-sensei!" The man said raised his head from his book and saw Naruto walking over to him in an orange and black kimono, the tie around it black. He gave him two peace signs with his fingers and hopped on to a stool, actually looking handsome. Without his forehead protector over his forehead, he looked much different, much like a girl without her glasses, wearing contacts instead.

"Ah, Naruto, you really look different without your uniform on," The gray haired sensei observed with a nod. His former student grinned and put a hand on his sensei's shoulder.

"Thanks! But why didn't you wear one?" He asked, looking at his plain Jounin outfit. Kakashi laughed nervously and scratched at the side of his head.

"Well, you see….I'm not really into that type of thing-"Naruto interrupted with a knowing laugh, his eyes narrowing in a creepy way.

"I bet you just don't have one, Sensei," He chuckled, turning around with crossed arms. Stuffing his book in his pocket, Kakashi faced his student and made a no sign.

"No, no that's not it. Of course I have one! Why wouldn't a shinobi like myself _not _have one?" He told his student calmly, but then the blonde turned to him, a finger pointed at his face.

"HA! So you admit you don't have one?" He asked as his eyebrows curiously rose.

"Yes! Wait, no! Wait-ugh," Kakashi gave up, hitting his head on the counter in irritation. Naruto cracked up laughing, holding his stomach in pain when a voice called out to him, and making him stop. The sensei raised his head as well, seeing who was coming next.

"Sakura-chan!" When he said her name, her head appeared through the paper kanji, showing her hair pulled into a bun with chopsticks coming out from the bun in that Asian way. She wore a white and red kimono with the tie around it red. Naruto's cheeks turned a bit red as he gazed at her while she sat down next to him.

"What?" She asked, turning her head to her friend. He shook his head and beamed at her, happy that she could come.

"Nothing, you just look awesome!" He complimented loudly, probably letting everyone in the whole village hear. Sakura gave him a thankful smile and gave him a hug.

"Thanks Naruto," She quietly said as she pulled away from him to wait for her friends. Soon, everyone filed in, admiring each other and giving each other compliments. Ino came in with a braid down the side of her head while the rest of her hair was in a bun, just like Sakura's. The last person to come was Sasuke, surprisingly, he actually showed up, wearing black shorts and a black shirt with the Uchiha symbol on the side of the sleeve. A kimono jacket was over the shirt, matched with a white and red bracelet on his right hand.

The things he wore brought out everything on his face, his eyes and his hair. Literally, the girls at Ichiraku's froze as he walked in, admiring his outfit. He took his seat next to Kakashi, only before meeting Sakura's warm, green eyes. Heat rose to his face but he refused to recognize it as blush. An Uchiha did _not _blush.

"Okay! Ichiraku, get your stuff going!" Naruto said, as he faced the counter, ready to gobble down anything that came his way. Everyone started talking then, about all the things that have happened, laughing and enjoying the ramen.

However, Team 7 by the counter seemed to be the only one _not _talking. Sakura was eyeing her teammates curiously, as they just silently ate their ramen. Rolling her eyes, she placed her chopsticks down next to her empty bowl and took a deep breath, bringing her stool so that she faced the backs of her teammates. Climbing on it, she put her hands on the seats and waited till they noticed her.

Kakashi was the first, turning around in his seat to see what was going on, then Sasuke who silently did that, and then Naruto was last, holding his chopsticks in his hand.

"What's up?" He asked, eating with the bowl in his other hand. Sakura grinned and leaned forward slightly.

"So, where'd you guys go for your mission? Tell me all about it!" She said excitedly, a flicker of sadness passing in front of her green eyes, before disappearing.

"Hrmmm, okay! I'll go first then!" Naruto volunteered, placing his bowl down.

"Nah, you can just tell her everything," Sasuke said in a low voice, his elbows propped up against the counter.

"Sure! That'll be fun too! Okay Sakura-chan, get ready, cause the mission we went to was soooo amazing! I kicked that ninja's guy's ass so hard he flew up into the air and hit the trees!" Naruto said, his eyes going back to the fight.

"Pfft, you got pounded into the ground idiot." Sasuke quietly commented, his eyes closed and a smirk on his face. A growl was heard from Naruto as he countered it with a comment of his own. Soon the two were arguing, soon getting louder so that the whole restaurant was listening.

"I chased him down faster than you!" Naruto said as he stood up from his seat. Sakura watched this from the spot she was in, dangerously close to the ninja's conversation.

"Well I reached him before you did!" Sasuke retorted back angrily.

"I beat him up way harder than your wimpy attacks!" The Jinjuuriki yelled, pointing at his chest. Then the two of them locked hands and started yelling, seeing who was stronger. Kakashi stood behind them, trying to calm them down, which only got him two ninja's yelling in his face. Kiba cheered Naruto on, while Lee gave courage to Sasuke. Soon the two of them were arguing, seeing who would win. Then in seconds, they were bidding money, laying them down on the table. Tenten watched by the side with a smile on her face, glad that they were all enjoying it.

She saw Sakura's shaking form and thought she was crying when a smile was spread across her face. She wiped tears from her eyes, and took deep breaths. _It seems as though she hadn't laughed like that in a while, _she thought quietly as she held that happy smile. A bowl was then flying in her direction, and Sakura got off the chair in time so she wouldn't get hit and walked over to Ino's side, still chuckling.

"At least I got them talking again," She said, watching her best friend's knock horns against each other. The restaurant erupted with laughter and Kiba clapped her shoulder, sitting on top of the booth, a grin on his face.

"Yep, you sure did. They'll never stop now." He said with a chuckle, petting Akamaru.

"They sure have changed," Sakura commented with her head in her hand as she watched Kakashi scoot out of the way to the side she was on.

"Sure have," Shikamaru said in an uninterested voice from the corner, sitting with Chouji.

"Naruto sure is oblivious when it comes to you Sakura, or in missions." Ino said in a joking kind of way, putting a hand against the cherry blossom's shoulder. However, those words hit her heart hard, striking it with a knife.

"Haha, yeah," She quietly replied back, her eyes cast down. Ino immediately became quiet and very quietly heard "Great! Look at what you did Ino!", from a whispering Kiba.

"Hey, but we all know that you've changed a lot Sakura," Tenten said kindly, walking over to her side.

"Thanks you guys," She said, meeting her close friend's eyes, seeing absolute compassion and understanding. They were all Jounin now, no longer a Chunin or a Genin in their younger years; they were like Kakashi-sensei now; except without the gray hair and the unpredictable attitude.

Soon, the fight with Sasuke and Naruto was over and Kakashi paid, his wallet completely empty. Everyone piled out of the restaurant and into the streets, all chatting quietly. Sakura was grouped with Kiba, Hinata and Shino while Sasuke, Naruto and the other guys talked with each other. Then Kakashi gathered them together with a clap of his hands.

"Okay guys, it's really late, so get a good night's sleep and I'll see you guys tomorrow," Then he made a hand seal and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Everyone looked at each other and shrugged, saying their goodbye's, soon even Naruto left, leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone in the dimly lit streets.

"Well then, I guess I'll be going then." Sasuke said, turning to make his way back home.

"Yeah, I'll follow soon." Sakura replied quietly, watching him leave.

Tonight was a really fun night, too bad it had to end so soon.

_Oblivious_

Waving goodbye to Ichiraku I was going to make my way back to my apartment when I heard a whoosh behind me. Whirling around, I whipped a hidden kunai out from my kimono only to find Genma in front of me, with a kunai of his own taken out. He had a toothpick in his mouth as he slackened his stance, smiling. Sighing in relief, I put the kunai away back in my sleeve and smiled.

"Genma," I quietly said with a nod as he nodded back seriously.

"It's been a while since I talked to you Sakura, hope you're doing well?" He asked, his hand on the back of his head in a calm composure.

"Yep! We just had a party, what's up?" I asked, taking the bun out of my hair and holding the sticks in my hand, letting it fall out. Genma was momentarily distracted as the scent of cherry blossoms wrapped around him.

"Oh! Uh, Lady Tsunade wanted to speak with you for a moment." He explained, clearing his throat to avoid the rising blush on his cheeks. Sakura really was a beautiful girl, he guessed that no one else really knew that from her younger years.

"Really? Okay," I replied with a smile. I've wanted to see her since I passed; I wanted to see how happy she was for me. The both of us jumped into the air and headed to the Hokage tower where an exhausted Tsunade sat.

Entering her room, I sat down on the seat by her desk and shook her arm carefully, trying to wake her up. Getting closer, I spotted an empty bottle of sake on the ground, lying on its side. Rolling my eyes, I shook her arm harder, noticing that Genma was still by the door.

"Tsunade-sama," I softly said, patting her face. She groaned and mumbled a few incoherent words before turning her head to the other side. Shaking her arm now, her groaning turned into yelling, getting louder. Knowing what was coming next, I leaped over to Genma and pushed him to the side, also getting in the face of a glass sake bottle.

"Sakura!" I heard Genma yell out before I caught it easily, leaning against the wall, letting a breath out. What faced the both of us next was a cranky Tsunade. Smiling, I put the bottle down in front of the desk and met my teacher's eyes. Once they met mine, she relaxed and blinked away the anger and grogginess.

Gesturing to Genma to come over, he sat down in the seat next to me and gave me worried glances as the Hokage stretched her arms out. Rubbing at her eyes, she smiled at Sakura and leaned back in her chair.

"Ah I'm sorry about that Sakura, now about why you're here. I'm assigning you a mission with Genma so you can have a bit of practice." I met eyes with the shinobi and smiled then turned back to my teacher to listen to her next words.

"I know it's late, but I want you to remember this. I will summon you early tomorrow morning, around 3 in the morning because of the urgency of this mission. And now to the mission, your task is to go to the Country of Lightning and heal one of their top shinobi. They were seriously injured and have no knowledge of the injury he has." As soon as she mentioned "Lightning" the image of the fire element ninja popped back into my head and my shoulder started throbbing again.

"Right, we'll head out tomorrow." I said as Genma and I stood up, preparing to leave.

"Sakura, I'd like you to stay here for a moment," Tsunade called from behind. I froze in place and turned around, sitting back down. I heard the door shut but couldn't hear the receding footsteps she was suppose to hear.

"Now, this person you are supposed to heal; you might know him. Maybe, I'm not sure but I have a feeling that you will. He came by our village one time and you two really bonded while Sasuke and Naruto weren't back yet." The image of the fire element ninja faded and now I couldn't place who I was supposed to remember.

"Be careful, you are a Jounin now and no longer need to be protected. The others know this and will occasionally come to help but, from now on, you have to defend yourself and fight your own battles." I stood up and bowed, deep respect for my master, showing in my eyes.

"Hai!" I said before exiting the room, seeing Genma leaning against the wall waiting.

"Well, want me to walk you back home? It's kind of…late," He said sheepishly, a hand to the back of his neck. Smiling with a glittering look in my eye, I nodded.

"Sure," I replied as we walked side by side in silence. It was a warm and comfortable silence.

_Oblivious_

Noticing her sudden disappearance of chakra, Sasuke whirled around eyes widened. Before she disappeared suddenly, he noticed another chakra with her. Who was it? Jumping back to the spot where she was before, he glanced around and saw nothing but the light of the moon.

Clenching his fists, he activated his Sharingan and looked around. If someone hurt her, he'd hurt that person a million times over. Jumping up to the roofs of houses, he spotted a small pink headed girl walking through the streets with someone beside her; he wore a Chunin outfit and had a toothpick in his mouth. What was his name again? Genna? Geni? Gen-Genma that's it.

Narrowing his eyes, he deactivated his Sharingan and sat on the roof, one leg out in front of him. His black kimono blew in the breeze as he watched the pair, wanting to be the Chunin that was walking with Sakura.

How much he missed those green eyes of hers, not seeing them for three years, she grew and changed a whole lot, yet the idiot Naruto hasn't noticed one bit except for her massive strength. He didn't want to admit it, but the way she didn't call his name with a "-kun" anymore bothered him.

Maybe she had gotten over her obsession with him?

Scowling, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed, jumping off the roof to head back towards his house.

_I guess Sakura really _has _changed, _he thought, listening to the wind in the breeze. He had listened to nature when he was out with Naruto and Kakashi, knowing what was coming. The feeling he got gave him chills up his spine as he pushed open his apartment door.

Just as he shut the door, a white letter slid under the door, hitting his foot. At the same time, a white envelope slid under Naruto's and Kakashi's doors. Naruto was the only one asleep when this happened. Kakashi was awake when the letter slid under his door; he sat up in his bed, his uniform off only with the mask still on.

Sasuke picked up the letter and turned it over, seeing no name. Curiosity getting the better of him, he ripped the back open and pulled out a small letter. Kakashi did the same, picking it up from the wooden floor. The two Jounin's read the note at the same time.

_Mission from Lady Tsunade, she will summon you at exactly 3 in the morning. Be there. Someone else you know will be there as well. -Shizune_

Although the two of them would know tomorrow morning, they didn't know that what Tsunade had planned for the three of them, how important the mission was that she would assign to them.

_Oblivious_

He placed the note on the side of his bed, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him. They never usually sent notes unless it was of much importance. With his eyebrows pointing down, he glanced out the window and saw the bright and big full moon, shining in his face.

His attention switched to the picture of his younger Genin students from before on his table. They had posed and he saw Sasuke and Naruto fighting with Sakura to the side, actually posing with a peace sign. A certain guilt hit in at the moment, making him slump down in his bed, closing his eyes.

They had left her behind…Naruto and Sasuke had no idea that the mission they went on would take three years.

Maybe what the three of them did; leaving her behind changed her. Could that be why she's so distant with Sasuke and Naruto? And most of all, her own sensei?

Putting his head in his hands, his mind flashed back to the time where the three of them were leaving. They were heading for the gates when they saw Sakura leaning against the doorpost of the village doors, her eyes distant.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto had said, running over to her. She turned her head, her soft pink hair moving in the breeze. Kakashi could tell that she was sad that she couldn't come; it was that empty look in her eyes. Though he already knew why.

"Good luck on your mission you guys," She said with a nod of her head, the quiet side of her showing. Sasuke and Naruto had nodded in agreement, while he had just smiled and looked at his student.

"We'll come back sooner than you think!" Naruto tried to cheer her up, his hands up in the air. With a conflicting look on her face, he could tell that she was trying hard not to sob, however, a tear streaked down her cheek and she wiped it away, giving her two teammates a hug. They both patted her on the back awkwardly and backed away, small smiles on their faces.

And then, they were off into the air, leaving their only teammate behind. Kakashi's mind went back into the present and he looked up at the clock in his room.

2:10am

Taking a deep breath, he climbed out of his bed and opened his closet, pulling out a Jounin uniform. Quickly slipping it on, he grabbed his packed backpack and came out of his apartment, heading for Naruto's room.

Of course, he was still asleep.

_End of Chapter 1_

_Thanks so much for looking at this story! I'd like to thank icelandgrl and redxcherrie for reviewing! And I thank all the others who put this story on their Alert's or Favorite's list! It really means a lot! I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review!_

_-FallenWing21-_


	3. Chapter 2: Illusion

Chapter 2: Illusion

Pulling the door shut, Sakura locked it with a turn of her small silver key and slipped it in the clip on her bracelet. Her spare key was in her pack, safe from anyone who wanted to steal it to break in. Running a hand through her soft hair she gazed at the star lit sky and made her way down from her apartment, heading for the main gates. The scroll was also included in her pack from the earlier summoning; which was earlier than usual.

Climbing down the steps, she walked through the empty streets; taking glances at the closed shops and saw that Ichiraku's was still closed. Smiling to herself, she turned a corner and saw that no one was there at the large doors yet. Breathing in the fresh, cool air she leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky, watching the stars glitter. About ten minutes passed by and Genma hadn't arrived yet. Shifting out of her position, she kept glancing back at the main road, worried that something had happened. About to take a look back, she heard a loud and tired voice coming from that direction. Breathing in a sigh of relief, she faintly smiled and watched as her team and Genma stepped out of the shadows, all with exhausted faces.

"I didn't know that you were also assigned to this mission," Sakura greeted, stepping up to them brightly. She noticed that Naruto still had a nightcap on, his eyes drooping.

"Yep, Lady Tsunade called us in at the last moment," Kakashi-sensei explained, grinning as he stood in the front the team.

"Why is it so early?" Naruto complained, an annoyed look on his face as he glared back at the Hokage tower. Sasuke frowned as he stared at his friend with the blue nightcap, swiping it off, chucking it back at him.

"You're not supposed to have that on," The Uchiha snapped, dark bags under his eyes, showing his irritation and exhaustion. Naruto glared back at the black chicken haired ninja and shoved it in his face.

"Shut up!" He yelled, his annoyance surrounding everyone; all except Genma. He was completely unharmed by the loud bickering of the teammates. Kakashi looked like he was about to murder someone in that duo while Sakura tried hard not to knock them both in the head as a vein twitched in her temple.

"Stop yelling at me! It's three in the morning and I have only gotten _two hours of sleep!" _Naruto bellowed, his arms waving frantically in the air.

"You're making my ear's _bleed _with your screeching so why don't you shut your mouth and be _quiet!" _Sasuke hissed back, his eyes narrowed down to slits and his sharingan glowing in the dark. Sakura's fists shook as she lowered her head, a scowl forming on her lips.

"Enough!" She loudly said, her eyes flashing dangerously as the two friends stopped immediately to look at their friend. They both turned to her and looked at each other, glaring. Sakura huffed and walked up to them, grabbing a fist full of their uniforms.

"I. Have. Had. Enough. Of. Your. Bickering! Now be quiet so we can get going on this mission!" She said in a deadly voice, shaking the two of them like a couple of wet rags. Releasing them, she sighed again and pulled at the tufts of her hair, straightening them out as she walked back to Genma's side.

"She's right. You two," Kakashi-sensei interfered, stepping in to look at the two teens who still gave cold glares to each other. "Keep what you are going to say to yourselves. You're Jounin's now and I don't need to tell you both off to let you know that _bickering _will never solve anything." He said in a serious tone, his knowledge of war and peace showing in that single gray eye of his. He was raised in the war and knew much of it as he grew up.

Naruto grumbled under his breath as he crossed his arms, stuffing the nightcap into his pack in one quick motion. Sasuke closed his eyes and in the next minute that passed, he looked like nothing had happened in those few moments that just happened. Instead, his gaze traveled over to a stressed out Sakura who stood beside a calm and quiet Genma; jealously ignited in the pit of his stomach, catching him off guard.

He was never jealous of anyone other than Naruto.

Blinking away his astonishment, he found the others looking back at him. Sakura had an eyebrow raised in curiosity while Naruto had an innocent look in his clear blue eyes. Kakashi was facing the trees on the outside, chatting with Genma quietly.

"C'mon Sasuke," Sakura said softly, smiling. Again, a twinge of pain stabbed his heart as the suffix "-kun" disappeared from his name, possibly to never come back again. He walked up to his friends silently as they headed out through the gates, the crickets singing their song.

Kakashi-sensei led the team and soon they were rushing through the air silently, jumping on branches as Sakura explained the details of the mission they were assigned. Naruto was zoning out as his eyes started to close frequently. Suddenly, he lost his balance and slipped off a branch. The pink haired kunoichi noticed immediately and grabbed a branch below, swinging on one arm to catch the sleep deprived ninja.

Landing on the ground, she slung his arm over his shoulder while the others on the team landed down in front of her, concerned for her safety and the sleeping one. Sakura put Naruto against a tree, his head shifting its position.

"He's okay, just a bit tired that's all." She said back to her teammates, turning around feeling a bit sleepy herself. "Why don't we let him sleep for a bit?" She added, a look of hope in her eyes. Kakashi-sensei gave in and nodded, setting his things down next to the blonde ninja, sitting beside him.

Sakura kept her distance and sat on a branch above the two ninja's, gazing up at the stars that would soon disappear in few hours time. Her eyes going distant, Sasuke silently sat across from her, his thoughts scrambled in his mind. Every time he looked at her, there was a sadness that passed in front of her face each time. It made him want to go back into the past to take her with him on the mission they went on for years.

"Sakura," He quietly spoke, catching her attention. She lifted her head and gave him a smile, greeting him.

"Sasuke," She replied in the same tone, kind and friendly.

"Can I…ask you something?" Sasuke asked, trying not to choke on his words. He wanted to know the answer, yet the question was the most difficult thing to ask.

"Go ahead," The pink haired girl said with a nod, waiting for his question.

"Did…did something happen while Naruto and I were gone?" He asked, his onyx eyes filled with that guilt he felt when the look of surprise passed in front of her peaceful looking face.

"N-no, nothing in particular happened," She replied quickly, keeping her eyes from meeting her friend's.

"Sakura," He softly said, wanting her to tell her what the problem was. She met his eyes and was faced with a hardened gaze, a barrier in front of them.

"I'd rather not talk about it Sasuke," She firmly said, serious. "Besides, you already know." She finished, jumping off from the branch as Kakashi-sensei motioned for her to come down. Sasuke watched in silence as the girl he knew three years ago, changed in front of his eyes; from the annoying fangirl, to an understanding, emotional teenage girl.

_Illusion_

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, walking up to the one eyed Jounin. He grinned and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I told you already; I'm not your sensei anymore. Kakashi is fine." He said as he nodded.

"Well what about Oji-san?" The kunoichi suggested with a quirk of her eyebrow. His hand slipping off her shoulder, he sighed and waved his hand, telling her to go on.

"I'm not _that _old." He replied, walking back to his spot next to Naruto. Rolling her eyes, Sakura turned away from him and jumped up onto a high branch, leaning on it as she looked out into the mountains in the horizon.

She spotted Genma down at the trunk below her tree and saw him sleeping with the toothpick in his mouth. Smirking, she shook her head and continued to look out at the horizon till a bright flash hit the world and soon, the sun was starting to rise from behind those tall mountains, its rays hitting the clouds like a beam of light, truly giving a beautiful and peaceful feeling into the air. Hearing a rustle below, she saw Kakashi-sensei getting up from his spot, an awoken and hyper-active ninja by his side.

"Alright, let's get going. Sakura," Her teacher looked up at her as Sasuke, Naruto and Genma stood by his side.

"Hai!" She replied, a determined look on her face.

"When we get to the next town, buy what you need for healing. Who knows who we could jump into," He replied, giving her a nod of approval. The pink haired kunoichi nodded and jumped ahead, the others following her.

About an hour passed and no one in the group complained of the stabbing pain in their side from staying in the air for so long. Sakura had a few soldier pills in her pocket, once in a while taking one to keep her stamina up. Landing on the ground, the five of them stopped at the edge of the town they visited and walked in, seeing that it was a lively place to be.

"Okay, I'll go and get my supplies; you can go get some ramen or something. I'll meet up with you later," Sakura said, starting to walk away from the group and into the crowd of people.

"Right, Naruto, you and Sasuke check this place out. Genma and I will find a place for us to stay." Kakashi instructed before disappearing in a puff of smoke, followed by Genma doing the same.

The two friends exchanged glances and shrugged, walking together off into the town. They bumped into a few people along the way, looking at shops and people shopping. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he glanced back, feeling a sinister presence around.

_Itachi? _He thought with widened eyes. Shaking his head, he refused to believe it. _This isn't the feeling of him. His chakra isn't this…deathly and cold. It has a different sense to it. _He added, glancing around for the person who could possibly be the culprit.

The only thing that crossed his vision was faces of extremely happy people; too happy. Grabbing Naruto's shoulder, he turned him slightly and leaned close to his ear, whispering what he was now realizing. The blonde nodded and looked around, his eyes wandering for the strange chakra. However, in the shadows of a darkened alley, a tinge of purple rose through the air and yellow snake like eyes flashed in the dark, a low maddening laugh coming from it.

"We meet again, Sasuke-kun." He hissed, smiling.

_Illusion_

"Ugh!" Sakura cried out as she was shoved to the ground, the bag of medicine crashing to the ground, glass breaking and leaking out of the container. Looking up, a shadow covered her from the sun but she couldn't see who the person was; the sun was in the way.

Rolling on her back, she jumped to her feet and instantly put her hands out in front of her, getting hit with a punch on her crossed arms. Shoes skidding on the ground, she put her hands down and glared back at the person in front of her. The dust cleared and she blinked as the surrounding people soon turned into dark hooded figures that held in their hands, torches. The village that was supposed to be a happy and joyful place, faded into a murdered, bloody town.

_An illusion! _Sakura thought as she gritted her teeth, watching the people who circled around her. Had Kakashi and the others noticed? Do they know where she is? Shaking her head, she got rid of the thoughts, clenching her fists.

_It doesn't matter now! I can fight them myself! _She thought, glaring at a young woman with a dark shade of purple as the color of her hair. She wore a cloak over a jounin outfit and it stood clear that the village she came from Sound.

"I've caught you finally," The Sound ninja sneered as she ruffled her hair with the back of her hand. Narrowing her eyes, Sakura leaned forward and tried to stare her down.

"What do you need from me?" She asked quietly, fully alert with the hooded figures that surrounded the lone apprentice. The ninja smirked and pointed at her with a gloved hand.

"Just to give something to you," She replied as she snapped her fingers loudly. Reacting instantly, Sakura leaped back as the figure around her pounced into a pile in front of her. Turning around, she burst through the wall and found herself at the edge of the abandoned village, seeing none of her teammates. The crack of a branch made her whirl around to see the Sound ninja standing in front of her with a syringe in her hand, the clutch pulled back.

"Now, just hold still and it'll be over." She softly said, approaching the pink haired kunoichi. Sakura appeared under her and slapped the syringe out of her hand, grabbing her by the wrists, delivering a punch into her stomach. She flew back into the streets of the village, dust floating in the air. The pink haired teen picked up the syringe and looked at the substance curiously.

It was a blue and bubbly kind of liquid; to just think about it going into her made her shudder. Stuffing it into her shuriken pouch, she took a glance at the unmoving figure on the ground and stared at it. Widening her eyes, she dashed to the side just in time to avoid a barrage of weapons landing in the spot where she stood.

_It was a Bunshin! _Sakura thought angrily as she made her way through the buildings of the town, trying to find her teammates. _Think! Calm down Sakura; just try to find their chakra. _Her calm side talked, keeping her sane. Closing her eyes for a moment, she located four intense chakra's at the other edge of the village. She could sense the hooded figure's chakra there as well.

"So they're trying to split us," She murmured, running through the streets as fast as she could, trying to outrun her pursuer behind her. Letting a wave of chakra out around her, she hoped with everything she had that her friends had sensed it. Turning around, she whipped a kunai out and clashed with the Sound ninja's own.

"What's in that syringe?" Sakura demanded, switching to taijustu, landing a punch on her face. She kicked her stomach and they both flew back.

"Something to transform you into the most useful weapon to Sound," The jounin replied, smirking as she pulled another syringe from her pouch. It was filled with that same bubbling liquid from before. Narrowing her eyes in disgust, Sakura appeared under her again and made an attempt to knock it away when she grabbed her by the wrist, pulling it down. The kunoichi's knees buckled underneath her and she saw the needle coming down and took out a kunai to block it. Hitting against the sharp needle, it snapped and the liquid spilled onto the ground.

Sakura dodged her punches and landed one on the bone of her jaw. She crumpled to the ground and spat out blood, wiping it off her chin. The Sound ninja smile as she looked up into the pink haired kunoichi's eyes.

"You're really the Fifth Hokage's apprentice," She said as she stood up, wiping the dirt off her cloak. "You'll be a great experiment for me,"

At the mention of "experiment" a memory flashing in Sakura's head, back in the time when Sasuke and Naruto were still genin's. Bits and pieces of it came back; the curse mark, Sasuke's other side, and the preliminary Chunin exams. Orochimaru's face was the last to come up, his yellow snake like eyes glowing in the dark. Sakura stared at the Sound ninja and widened her eyes, taking a step back in fear.

"A-are you a student of Orochimaru, one of the three legendary Sannin?" She stuttered, actually surprised that she asked the enemy that. The purple haired ninja grinned and clasped her hands in front of her.

"So! You know my sensei huh?"

_Illusion_

As soon as the town's cheerfulness started to fade around them, Kakashi _knew _that something was wrong in this place. He glanced over to Genma and saw that he realized it as well. They both walked out of the hotel they were in and saw darkness everywhere, lit by torches with purple fire. Suddenly an explosion sounded from the other side of the town and as the two of them were about to make their way over there, hooded figures appeared out of nowhere, carrying shurikens and kunai's in their hands.

Black and blonde obscured their vision and soon the four of them were back to back, facing the opponents that now faced them. Naruto was grinning as he looked at the others, charging in. Sasuke pulled out his katana and used chidori, sending sparks out to the figures. Kakashi did a head count and realized that Sakura was missing. Fear for some reason gripped his heart as his eyes scanned the darkness, hoping to find a pink haired girl come running out.

"Where's Sakura?" Genma asked the inevitable. Everyone turned as they exchanged glances, soon growing wide with realization. The two best friends turned to each other and to the other end of the town, sensing a strong chakra. It was a warm and powerful one, one that they both recognize instantly.

"Sakura!" Naruto cried out, heading towards that direction. Sasuke had an arm held out in front of him as he attempted to stop the hyper-active ninja but failed.

"Dobe, wait!" Sasuke said as he turned to his teacher. Kakashi had his headband lifted all the way up as he turned to his student so that the Sharingan he had was seen.

"Go ahead, we'll catch up." He said, returning to the fight that was in front of him with Genma. Sasuke nodded and dashed off in the direction of his two best friends who were both in trouble.

"Hey, stop!" The idiot Naruto yelled out as he spotted Sakura being held down on the ground with her arms behind her back, her face pressed into the ground by a Sound ninja. Surprisingly, it was a girl. She smirked and pulled out a syringe with mysterious blue liquid and placed it near the pink haired girl's neck.

"Your friend is going to change once I inject this in her. She'll be a part of my experiment." She explained as the needle got closer. There was a rush of air and Sasuke had her wrist in his hand, tightly gripped as he smacked the syringe away from Sakura.

"You're not going to hurt her," He said in a low and threatening voice, aiming the blade of his katana against her throat. Sakura twisted under her grip and kicked her in the chest, climbing to her feet-with the help of Sasuke.

"Thanks," She said, barely giving him a thankful glance as she focused in on the enemy. The Uchiha lowered his eyes as he felt the connection the two of them had before slip away, getting farther and farther; out of everyone's grasp to bring back.

"Oh I'm not?" The voice of the ninja came from behind Sakura, sweet and bliss. Ducking just in time, the pink haired teen whirled around and blocked the blows she received from her as Sasuke did his best to provide backup.

Suddenly, someone appeared behind her at lightning speed and jabbed her pressure point, paralyzing her arms and legs as she sunk to the ground, only to get caught by the hair by the Sound ninja. She gasped and looked around for Sasuke, seeing his side bleeding as he got up to his feet. Naruto jumped in beside him and clenched his fists as he met Sakura's eyes.

"Your opponent is us! Let her go!" He demanded, his eyes blazing with rage. The ninja smirked and swung Sakura's head around, reminding her of the time in the Chunin exams where the other Sound ninja grabbed her by the hair. The others noticed it too as they widened their eyes in realization. Sakura jammed her elbow in the ninja's stomach and fell to the ground, still trying to get the movement in her limbs.

Before she knew it, she was on her feet and next to Kakashi who looked extremely angry. Genma had his hands on her shoulders protectively as he watched the Sharingan user step up to be the next opponent.

"Hmp, all I want is the girl. None of you will get to see what horrible things might happen to her if you don't just hand her over. C'mon, she's your friend; you wouldn't want to see her bleeding to death now would you?" The Sound ninja tried to reason, putting a hand out.

"We'd never do that!" Naruto angrily yelled, swiping his hand in front of Sakura. The Jounin smirked and disappeared, only to reappear beside Sakura. She gasped and pulled out a knife when a hand simply touched Genma's shoulder and he started to widen his eyes. Suddenly, he put his hands against his ears and sank to his knees, eyes tightly shut in pain. Sakura was about to aid him when a hand slapped across her face and she slammed against the ground, rocks hitting the air.

She blinked her eyes open, only to see her friends on the ground, blood forming into pools around them as shuriken and kunai stuck out of them. Widening her eyes, she got up on her side and reached out to them in a desperate need to save them when a boot crashing painfully against her bone. Hearing it snap, she let out a pained yell and tried to pry off the foot with her weak hand, blood trickling down the side of her hand when something sharp hit her neck. She knew that it was in her now.

"Sakura," She heard Naruto whisper in pain from far away from her. She met his eyes and saw complete defeat, for the first time in her life; she never saw that light go out. With her sight getting blurry, she breathed silently and brought her chakra in her clenched fist. She refused to see that blank light again! She didn't want to see Naruto like that…

_So I'll change it! _She thought as she opened her eyes, bringing her fist down on the foot that was on her hand. With her fist against it, she felt the bone crack and heard the ninja yell in pain. Just like she expected, her foot came off. Pushing up against her broken hand, even if it hurt, she jumped to her feet and kneed her in the stomach once more and sent her crumpled to the ground.

Rushing over to her friends, she reached her sensei first who took a glance at her broken hand. Putting one hand against his ear, she healed him as much as she could before she moved on to Sasuke and Naruto. They were beside each other. Healing one at a time, she took glances back at the unmoving body on the ground where she landed and sighed before moving on to Sasuke's wound.

"Sakura," Naruto quietly said, sitting up. She looked at him, her eyes sad as he put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry," He whispered, looking away from her. She nodded, understanding and turned to a sitting up Sasuke. His attention was directed to her, his onyx eyes full of concern.

"I have something to tell you." He nodded, telling her to go on before she passed out.

"That girl over there," Pointing her head to the Sound ninja. "She was also a student of Orochimaru," Sakura whispered, her breath starting to come out in gasps. That substance was starting to react to her cells, and was now flowing through her bloodstream.

"Are you sure?" Sasuke asked hesitantly, switching his gaze over to the purple haired girl. Sakura gave him a nod and looked at her sensei that was also waking Genma up. They both walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, quiet.

"What's gonna happen to me?" She whispered, starting to feel dizzy. She fell back and was caught in Kakashi's arms.

"We'll bring you back to Konoha so Lady Tsunade can see you," He replied, giving her a nod with a sad smile.

"Oh, you are so wrong." The Sound ninja got up to her feet, limping on one foot and wiping dried blood off of her chin. She grinned at them just as two hooded figures landed beside her, supporting her weight.

"That Sakura right there, she'll be so different and powerful before you even know it." She gave them a cold smile and made a hand seal.

"She'll be the best experiment that Orochimaru gave to me. When she's fully changed, I'll come and take her back." Those were the last words of the Sound ninja before she disappeared into thin air. Sakura stared at the empty space, frightened. What was going to happen to her, now that there was a suspicious liquid inside her? Her hands shook by her side, but she forced them to stay still. However, pain in her right hand started to creep into her mind and she clutched it to her chest, wanting to keep it safe. Before she knew it, her eyes slowly closed, the last image in her mind, her friend's and teacher's worried faces as she blanked out.

End of Chapter 2

_Hi Naruto fans out there! I'd like to say thank you for the reviews I've recieved from filipinochick, icelandgrl, and .. I love the story you have right now, (.) and I'm waiting for you to update! (icelandgrl) I'll check out your stories as soon as I can filipinochick! Filipino's UNITE! Ha! Well, I'd also like to say thanks for the people who put this story on their Alert's or Favorite's list. It means so much that you really like my writing. I hope I can somehow have this as a career in my life:to be an author. So please help me out by reading and giving me advice on my writing! It would help me out so much! Thanks you guys once more!_

_-FallenWing21_


	4. Chapter 3: Crescent

Chapter 3: Crescent

The ember of the fire crackled as Kakashi carefully added more twigs and sticks to the growing pile. He looked at his two students, around the other side of the fire, leaning against each other on the trunk of a tree, blankets wrapped around their shoulders. A lonely sleeping Genma was seated by the trunk that was near his sleeping bag, his toothpick nowhere to be seen.

He noticed a presence and turned his head to see Sakura's eyes slowly opening. He grabbed a small towel from his pack and crawled to her side, and added water to the towel, placing it on her forehead. She turned her head as she smiled faintly, the pale color of her face, glowing in the dark.

"Sensei," She whispered, greeting him softly. He smiled in return and nodded, helping her sit up by placing a gloved hand on the small of her back. Her structure crumpled as she let out a small cry of pain, her eyes tightly shut. A hand darted to her left shoulder, squeezing it as she fell against his chest.

"Easy, easy," He softly reassured, carrying her so that she would be able to lean against the trunk near his sleeping bag. He brought her blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders, his warmth coming off him.

"How long have I been sleeping?" She asked, looking up at him with pained eyes. Drops of sweat slid down the side of her face as she continued to hold her throbbing shoulder. He gave her the small towel and sat down in front of her, a serious look on his face.

"Since noon Sakura, we have to let the Fifth Hokage know what's happened here." He said, reaching for his pack for a scroll. However, Sakura stopped him by grabbing his wrist quickly. He turned his head, surprised that she'd do that.

"No! Don't. She'll take us off this mission, and I won't be able to heal those shinobi from the Country of Lightning." She countered, her voice rising sharply. Kakashi stared back at her, his expression serious and nothing like it was before: friendly and cheerful.

"Your safety and health is much more important than those on the mission Sakura," He made a point, his right eye narrowing in silence.

"I know that, but those people are depending on us to get there and to heal their people; I can't just leave injured shinobi like that! They'll die before they get a chance of getting healed by me if we don't make it there in time." The pink haired girl determinedly retorted, her eyes blazing with intensity.

"But your own safety is much of importance as well," He quietly said, releasing his grip from his pack to listen to her words.

"There was a _reason _that they chose me to go and heal their people: I'm the _apprentice _of the Fifth Hokage, they _know _that they need me to heal them. What will happen if I'm not there? They'll send a complaint to her and anger will rise on both sides, all because I didn't show up." Sakura added on, meeting her teacher's gaze. Kakashi sighed and ran a hand down his face, about to say something when a soft rustle met their ears behind them.

In a second, everyone was up on their feet, kunai's poised as they surrounded Sakura, worried of her health. Sasuke's onyx eyes bore holes into the bushes while Kakashi stood beside Sakura, his fingers slightly twitching just in case they had to run. A pale figure stepped out of the darkness and into the light of the fire, revealing who he was. At that moment, Naruto put back his kunai and sighed, yawning in exhaustion, crawling back to his messed up sleeping bag.

"Sai, do whatever you need to do and get the hell out of here," Naruto mumbled, pulling the blanket over his shoulders and flipping over to his side, away from the fire, soon falling asleep in seconds. The ANBU gave Kakashi a faint smile and handed a scroll to Genma.

"I am sorry to disturb everyone's sleep but the Hokage wishes to see all the Chunins for an urgent meeting. I am to be Genma-san's substitute for now." Sai quietly said, meeting Kakashi's gaze. He nodded in approval and looked over at Genma who was now reading the scroll by the fire, reading its contents. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sheathed his katana once more, somewhat happy that Genma was leaving. But now, he was annoyed that his apparent "look alike" is now here with them on this mission.

Turning his head, he met Sakura's pained gaze for a minute and walked back to his sleeping bag, moving it away from Naruto and down on the ground where he could sleep peacefully. Sakura traced a small hint of pain in his onyx eyes before he left, realizing how worried they all must've been. She met Kakashi's eyes and nodded, watching him go to his sleeping bag to take a short nap. He pulled the blanket over his shoulders and fell asleep silently.

"I'll be keeping the first watch Sakura-san so why don't you get your sleep?" Sai suddenly said beside her, setting his stuff down next to her. She made a move to sit, but a burning pain hit her shoulder once more, and her knees hit the ground. Already, an arm was in front of her, stopping her from falling. Lifting her head, she saw Sai down on his knees, a concerned look on his pale face.

"Sakura-san?" He asked, carefully moving her to lean against the trunk. She took in deep breaths as throbbing took place of the burning in her shoulder. She met Sai's eyes and let out a sigh, pulling the blanket around her tighter.

"Something happened when we were in town, I was injected with something, and now-"She widened her eyes and dropped her head as something burned once more in her shoulder. Trying not to yell in pain, she bit her bottom lip till she drew blood, sweat dripping down her face. She gasped, as she took her hand away from her shoulder, seeing a crescent mark in her palm.

Sai was on her other side, taking a look at whatever it was in an instant, careful not to touch it. He pushed away the fabric of her uniform slowly and narrowed his eyes as he saw two crescent moons, the edge in the space of another. It was in black ink and it looked familiar to him. Widening his eyes, he realized instantly what it was.

"It appears that you have a curse mark," He stated, his soft fingers pulling away from her skin. Sakura widened her eyes in shock as she stared down at her lap, astonished. Sai walked back to her side, leaning on the trunk.

"A curse mark," She whispered, taking a glance at Sasuke; who used to have one of his own. The words of that Sound ninja came flashing back, her pretty face embedded in her mind. "Experiment?" She asked with a furrow of her brows.

"Kakashi-san told me to send a message to the Hokage, for that to happen, I need to know what went on here and with that mark." Sai calmly said, rolling a blank scroll out on the grass, taking his brush and ink out, ready for writing. Sakura met his eyes quietly and nodded, taking a deep breath. She told him about the fight in that abandoned town and about the Sound ninja that was Orochimaru's apprentice other than Sasuke. Sai opened another scroll and drew a bird, using his jutsu to bring it to life. Attaching the scroll to its leg, he sent it off into the starry night, its wings flapping in silence.

Sakura sighed softly and closed her eyes, making a hand seal. Sai watched her quietly, seeing what she was doing, not really knowing what it was yet. With a drop of sweat rolling down her face, she concentrated her chakra to the curse mark in her shoulder, hoping to ease the pain. Seeing the outcome, her left side no longer felt like it was on fire like it was before. Now it felt normal, that uninjured feeling.

She finished the seal and stood up without a problem, flexing her fingers, slipping her gloves on. Sai looked up at her in curiosity, wondering what she had done. Sakura looked up to the sky and saw a part of the darkness, getting lighter.

"I temporarily placed a seal on the mark, taking the pain away for just a bit. So we need to get to the Country of Lightning soon." She explained, packing her things up. Sai stuffed his scrolls back in his pack and stood up, slipping it on.

"Oh! You can get your rest Sai; I'll take this watch till everyone wakes up." She volunteered, waving her hand for him to sit down. He blinked in astonishment but shook his head, declining.

"I'm fine Sakura-san; I had my rest before I left the village. I'll just take a look around, why don't you wake those three up?" He pointed his thumb towards her three sleeping friends and then hopped on a branch, scouting the place for any traps. Sakura smiled and walked over to her teacher, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Out of instinct, he whipped out a kunai and clashed against Sakura's elbow pad, alarming the two sleeping friends to their feet. Kakashi immediately regretted it and gave his student a cheeky grin of apology. Sakura chuckled and shook her head.

"I asked Sai to send a message to the Hokage-sama, filled with what happened here; to me." She said, handing her teammates their packs as they rolled up their sleeping bags.

"Wait, Sakura-chan-how are you standing up?" Naruto asked as he slipped on his pack, adjusting his headband with a simple twist. She grinned and clasped the buckle of the straps, standing in front of the blonde ninja.

"Just a simple chakra concentration; however it won't last long so we have to get to the Country of Lightning as soon as we can, the seal I placed on the…" She trailed off; realizing that Sasuke, Naruto nor Kakashi knew that it formed into a curse mark…

"Placed on what Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, curiosity getting the better of him. She blinked and sighed, realizing that it was right to tell them. She shouldn't keep it from them any longer.

"My curse mark Naruto," She stated bluntly, meeting Sasuke's surprised eyes instantly. Kakashi stepped forward in caution, confusion in the atmosphere.

"From the injection?" He asked, an eyebrow raised in question. Sakura nodded and placed a hand on the crescent curse mark, not feeling the pain for now.

"I put a chakra seal on the mark so as to ease the pain so we can get going on this mission," She explained with a nod, taking her hand away from her shoulder.

"Wait-"Naruto said before Kakashi placed his hand over his mouth, muffling his questions.

"I'll explain what happened to you two on the way. Sakura, I assume you know where to go since you've got the scroll?" He asked, meeting her green eyes. She nodded and pulled out the scroll from her pack, reading the directions quickly before stuffing it back in.

Sasuke kept watching her though, his eyes on the spot where she placed her hand last, that wretched curse mark. _Now she's got one too, _he thought bitterly, his mind wandering back to Orochimaru who was still alive out there somewhere. Naruto had found him, changed his mind and chose to leave Orochimaru of his own free will. However, to know that his old teacher had another student? That surprised him, but now that his own teammate had a curse mark from Orochimaru's student?

That, he couldn't take.

He knew what it was like to have a curse mark. Anko did as well. They were both students of one of the legendary Sannin, some of Orochimaru's chakra running through their veins. From the pain that he felt, back when he was still a genin, it would be nothing compared to the one that Sakura has. That mark of his got stronger on its own, but Sakura's is different…it was _already _strong when it formed so the outcome of that would possibly be pain filled screaming coming from her. He clenched his fist, angry that someone decided to use her as an experiment. _I'll beat Orochimaru if it's the last thing I do. _He thought as the team rejoined each other, Sai jumping down from the branches.

"Are we ready to go, Sakura-san?" He asked with a small smile on his face. She nodded and jumped forward, leading the team on to its destination; the Country of Lightning.

_Crescent_

The inked bird's white wings gave the signal that something was wrong to the Fifth Hokage. It flew into the messaging center where all the other bird carriers were, a scroll from Sai attached to its foot. As soon as Shizune detached the scroll, the jutsu wore off and ink splattered against the table.

Tsunade watched from her window as Shizune released the seal, reading the scroll to herself. Seeing her apprentice's eyes widen with fear, a terror gripped at the Hokage's heart, worried for her other precious student.

"TSUNADE-SAMA!" Shizune cried out as she ran into the room, a stricken look on her face as she handed her teacher the scroll from Sai. Tsunade took it but kept her eyes away from it, watching Shizune.

"Is it bad?" She asked, her hand tightening around the bond of the scroll. Shizune closed her eyes, her eyebrows furrowed and nodded. She sighed, and laid out the scroll in front of her, hands on both sides of it, eyes reading down slowly. They narrowed as they ran over the last few lines and finally came to a close as she read Sai's name.

"So…my own student now has a curse mark of her own?" She asked herself quietly, trying to keep her boiling temper and rage from reaching its peak. Shizune knew what was going to happen next and braced herself for the worst…but it didn't come. Peeking out from her squeezed eyes, she saw the Hokage's form completely calm, eyes closed and breathing, quiet. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she stood up from her chair, slamming her hands down on the wooden table.

"SHIZUNE!" She bellowed, her eyes flashing dangerously at her student. The medic shook under her gaze, a twitching smile upon her lips.

"H-hai?" She asked, mortified. Tsunade jabbed her finger in the air, pointing at the door.

"GET ANKO IN THIS OFFICE AT THIS INSTANT!" She yelled once more, throwing her clipboard at the now closing door, Shizune's footsteps quickly receding to find the Jounin. Tsunade sighed and placed a hand to her forehead, extremely worried for her apprentice.

"I do hope she knows how to do a chakra seal…" She murmured, turning to the window, watching the villagers living their normal lives, while her shinobi out there are fighting for peace. The door opened and she whirled around to see Anko saunter in with a plate of dango.

"Yo," She said with a mouth full of dango, waving the stick of dango around. Tsunade leaned forward on her desk and narrowed her eyes. In a flash, she swiped the stick of dango from her hand and smashed it into the wall. Anko stood there, her eyes slowly meeting the squished yummy food.

"THIS IS NO TIME FOR DANGO ANKO!" Tsunade bellowed, shaking her by the collar of her jacket, getting some sense into her. Anko grabbed her wrist and backed up a bit.

"Okay okay, chill. You didn't have to knock my dango away." She said sadly, gazing at her snack. Tsunade rubbed her temple and sat down in her chair.

"Anko, Sakura was injected with something on her mission and now has a curse mark on her shoulder."She explained, finally getting the Jounin's attention. Anko clenched her fists at the mention of that wretched curse mark.

"Orochimaru," She hissed, her pupil less eyes narrowing down to slits. Tsunade nodded, now completely serious.

"Exactly. Now, what I want you to do is follow Team Kakashi on their mission, meet up with Sakura and give her some tips on what the curse mark does and help her out somehow. She also has Sasuke Uchiha, but….he's worried with something else so I need you to do it.

"Alright, I get it. You want to prevent Sakura from getting closer to Orochimaru right?" Anko asked as she turned for the door. Tsunade nodded and met the Jounin's eyes for a minute.

"I can trust you on this right Anko?" She suspiciously inquired, linked her fingers together on top of the desk. The Higher Jounin grinned and gave the Hokage a thumbs up, grinning.

"Of course!" She said, making her way out the door. Shutting it behind her, her lips frowned as her past floated up to the surface of her mind, images of herself as a little girl, almost dying from the power of the Heavenly curse mark. Clenching her fists, she walked down the hallway, passing a quiet Shizune thinking.

_I won't let that happen to Sakura, _she thought, completely true on her words. She'd hunt down Orochimaru herself if it was the last thing she'd do. To completely rid him of this world will be better for everyone else. It was her duty as being his former student.

_Crescent_

"So, what you're saying is that Sakura now has a curse mark?" Naruto asked once more, following beside Kakashi with Sasuke on his other side, completely silent.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be if he's been saying yes for the past ten minutes?" Sasuke said under his breath, not even wanting to deal with the hyper-active ninja right now. His thoughts were as of this moment on the pink haired kunoichi who was talking quietly next to a pale faced Sai.

_What are they talking about? _He asked, suspicious. The team continued jumping when he noticed Sakura's form stiffen. She suddenly took a large jump forward, leaning on a tree with a hand to her shoulder, arm shaking. Sai stood in front of her as the three of them stopped behind her, concerned. Sasuke already knew what was happening though; the mark was eating off the chakra seal she placed, slowly devouring the rest of it.

"Sakura-san," He heard Sai quietly say, his arm reaching out to help her if she needed it. Sasuke looked away from the scene, feeling envious of him. He was a better Sasuke than he himself had ever been to her. Looking back on it, the others had done some bad things too her too.

"It's okay," She replied, struggling. Instead of putting another seal, she took a breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead, turning to face the others.

"We have to keep going. We're almost there." She said, looking at Kakashi. He looked unsure but nodded anyways, needing to trust his student. In seconds, they were back in the rhythm of jumping, silence filling the air, except for Sakura's and Sai's quiet chatter. Sasuke silently wondered what it would take to rekindle the friendship that the three of them had before.

Maybe he'd ask her.

_Crescent_

"Say, do you like hot springs?" Sakura asked Sai out of the blue. He blinked back at her, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I?" He replied, shrugging. The pink haired kunoichi chuckled slightly and was a bit relieved that he was here to interrupt the tension.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to go to one in the Country of Lightning," She explained, keeping her eyes straight on the path. A hand touched her shoulder and she saw Sai looking at her with such kindness that she though he had never even learned to mask his emotions.

"That would be nice," He commented, giving her a smile. Sakura was about to say something else when she saw something down below, breaking her train of thought. Putting her hand up, everyone stopped around her, curious.

"What's up Sakura?" Kakashi asked, jumping to the branch close to her. She lifted her head and put a finger to her lips, signaling to be quiet. She also signaled them to spread out. Following that order, they could see her from all sides, keeping watch.

Sakura hung down from the branch, trying to get a better look at what was down there. She spotted rusted metal, but couldn't make out anymore in the shadows of the leaves. Jumping down, she looked around and sensed that no one was around.

Suddenly, the scent of blood hit her square in the nose, making her widen her eyes as the sight she saw, froze her in her spot. The others were in the shadows, but couldn't see exactly what she was seeing. Everything froze around her, her eyes only fixated on the figure in front of her.

**(Warning: a bit bloody here…)**

An awkwardly bent arm stuck out of the cage, the long black hair of the girl spread out behind her, her neck snapped to the side, eyes open yet without any light. Spikes came out of her stomach and punctured her arms and legs, drawing blood.

A trap.

That's what she got caught in; a brutally held trap. Coming closer to the dead girl, Sakura bent down to her knees and took a look inside the cage. Judging from the recent spillage of blood on the grass…it was about a few hours ago.

Her head snapping up, she looked at the trunks of the trees, staring at each one with widened eyes. Placing her hands together, she made a seal and met her teammate's concerned eyes.

"Kai!" She called out, the genjustu disappearing in front of her eyes. Flicking her eyes back to the trunks, paper bombs revealed itself, its time close to an end. Drawing a kunai out, she got up to her knees, and saw everyone disperse from the scene. As she was about to jump away a little white bird perched itself on top of the cage, chirping.

Sakura cocked her head at it before realizing that it was too late. The bird met her eyes and opened its beak, exploding on top of the cage. The paper bombs reacted to this and went off, adding more explosions to her flight.

"SAKURA!" She heard her teammate's yell in a muffled voice. Landing on her side from the force of the explosion, she opened her eyes to see from distance; black robes with red clouds on them. Instantly she got up to her feet, leaping away from that man, jumping up into the trees to see her teammates.

"Are you okay Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as the others stopped behind him. Wiping blood off the side of her head, she nodded and looked down in the shadows to clarify that it was _that _person she had just seen. Seeing that it was truly him, she turned to her sensei and gave him a serious look.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's Deidara," She stated quietly, seeing his eye widen in astonishment.

"_Time's up Sakura-san," _A snake-like voice whispered in her head, making her grow still. At that moment, the seal on her curse mark dissipated and the fire on her left side returned, this time adding a horrible headache to her temples. Clutching her head, she fell against the only person who was beside her, Sasuke.

He caught her by the arms, her head leaning on his shoulder. Her whole body was shaking and that pale clamminess returned to her face. Kakashi put a hand to her forehead and narrowed his eye. He took a glance at Sai and nodded.

"Sasuke, follow Sai and he'll bring you and Naruto to the Country of Lightning, we're almost there anyway. I'll go see what this Akatsuki member wants and follow you there." He said, moving past him to go down.

"Wait, can we guarantee that you'll come back?" He asked, his eyes changing into the Sharingan. Kakashi grinned and waved him off, drawing a kunai out from his pouch.

"Always! I'm your sensei after all, and I did say before that I'd protect you three with my life." He said, looking at his three students carefully.

"But we're Jounin now Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto quietly countered, his eyes holding a confused look in them. Their teacher turned to them and gave them a small smile.

"I'm still true to my word Naruto," He replied before disappearing into the shadows. Naruto stepped forward but was stopped when Sai placed a hand on his shoulder, making him turn around.

"Naruto-kun, we must follow his order. He will come back just like he promised." Sai calmly reassured, looking at his other teammates.

"And you," He said, meeting Sasuke's eyes. "Don't let her go,"

Turning he led the rest of the team off, jumping through the branches at Kakashi's normal speed. Sasuke and Naruto followed quietly still worried for Sakura, but now for their own teacher.

About thirty minutes away from them, shot past a Jounin with a tan overcoat and a mesh body suit, moving at about five kilometers per second. She wasn't even using that much chakra and yet, she was getting closer to the strong chakra presence that was overpowering everyone else's. Narrowing her light brown pupil less eyes, she gritted her teeth and increased her speed, blowing splinters off the branch.

"Akatsuki," She hissed, the anger in her blood rising and mixing with the part of Orochimaru's chakra. Although it was sealed by the Third Hokage, she could still use forbidden jutsu's that he had taught her.

Will she make it in time to assist Kakashi?

End of Chapter 3

_Hey guys! Thanks for looking at this again! I'm really happy you read it! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! If there are any spelling errors I apologize, but if you point it out, I shall go and correct it! Know what? I'll correct it soon! So you can all fully understand what I am trying to incorperate. Haha! Well, please leave a review!_

_-FallenWing21_


	5. Chapter 4: Binding

Chapter 4: Binding

Anko leaped up to the top of the tree and gazed down on the two fighting shinobi, explosions coming from their battle. She narrowed her eyes when she saw those familiar silver locks and his one eye covered up. She pulled out a kunai and pointed it at the colored jacket of the Akatsuki member. Then, with a swift toss, it went towards the blonde haired enemy, with Anko following after it in a shadow.

Deidara saw the knife coming and side-stepped it, only to feel sharp pain in his shoulders and feet. Stopping, he turned his head to see a woman in a tan overcoat behind him with an angry look in her eyes. Coming from her extended arms were bodies of snakes, which were biting into his shoulders.

"My my, they just keep coming." He calmly said, flicking his wrist in agitation. Anko dodged the flying shuriken and landed a few pressure points to the bomb user, jumping back into the trees. Placing her hand on the side of the tree, she summoned a barrier of snakes going around the perimeter of the trees that surrounded Deidara. She grinned as a shadow appeared beside her suddenly.

"Didn't know I was coming eh Kakashi?" She asked, glancing beside her to see the ninja break out into a grin.

"I caught the presence of your chakra once you threw that kunai however I didn't know that you'd want to join the fight." He countered playfully, taking out another barrage of kunai.

"It seems you need my help though," Anko retorted, taking shuriken from her pouch. Kakashi gave a soft sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"This one is quite protective of himself," He replied, jumping into the fight once more. Anko watched the member's movements, making sure to analyze his weak spots. However, before spotting any, a tiny white spider decided to climb down behind her. In a second, it went off and she cried out in pain, a burn appearing on her back. The bomb had gone through her jacket and the mesh suit.

Rolling on to the ground, she got to her feet and immediately blocked as a line of shuriken came towards her. Panting from the bleeding wound on her back, she glared at the figure that jumped out of the trees. As a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her head, she grounded her teeth, clenching her fist in anger.

"Miu," She said, her voice full of hatred. The purple haired girl smirked and spun her hand, a kunai. She wore a Sound village uniform under a black cloak.

"It's nice to see you Anko," She replied sweetly, walking up to meet her. Anko did the same till they were only a few feet away. In the distance, somewhere else around them was explosions, shaking the ground.

"You were a little girl back then, look at what you've grown up to be, still an apprentice to Orochimaru I see?" Anko sneered, licking the blade of her kunai. Miu met her eyes in a flash and the spinning of the kunai stopped in her hand.

"I'm his strongest," She replied back, her voice low and dangerous. Anko chuckled and closed the gap between them, tilting her chin up to meet her eyes.

"Sasuke Uchiha was," She whispered, Anko's eyes turning a pale and gray color. Miu narrowed her eyes as she activated her curse mark, the flames spreading over her face and reaching the other side.

"So, we're going to fight with our curse marks then?" She asked, her eyes widening. Anko frowned and stepped back, putting her hands together.

"If that's what it takes to beat you, then yes." She replied, releasing her curse mark. She had promised herself not to use it after the Third Hokage sealed it, but…in times like these, only a demon can defeat a demon. The flames spread over her face, but she did not allow it to take over…yet.

"Tell me, before we start, were you the one who gave a Konoha ninja the Crescent curse mark?" She asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Miu blinked innocently as wings came out of her back, her skin becoming a dark tone, her lips turning purple. She was thinking hard.

"Hrmm, oh yes! That girl with the pink hair! She was just absolutely delightful!" She replied excitedly, her eyes shining. Anko gritted her teeth as black spikes tore her coat, appearing on her arms, her eyes fading into a light gray tinge. Bending low, she pulled out a set of kunai and placed them in a defensive stance.

"Giving _that _to her, you're going to be down in hell…" She guaranteed, rushing forward with a burst of speed, clashing against Miu's weapons. Miu pulled from behind her a long sword, bringing it down on Anko. She swiped it with her kunai and slashed her cloak with the spikes on her arms. Anko jumped back and threw a barrage of kunai to her opponent. She was met with a foot against her chin, sending her up into the air and through the trees.

Regaining herself, she stood on top of the trees, leaping as Miu came up from under her. Making a hand seal, she sailed through the air as Miu followed her.

"Fire Style, Fireball Jutsu!" She called out, bringing her hands up to her mouth, blowing. A large fireball rolled through the air, going towards Miu.

"She'll never turn to your side!" Anko said as they clashed against each other once more. Miu gritted her teeth and made a hand seal.

"Water Style, Water Wave!" She yelled as an enormous wave of water appeared out of nowhere and crashed into Anko, sending her up against a tree. With water choking her and entering her mouth, she spluttered as the waves stopped, coughing. Growling, she glared at a smirking Miu and stood up, wiping the water from her mouth with the back of her hand. Extending her hands out, she narrowed her eyes.

"Multiple Shadow Snake Hands!" Snakes darted out of her sleeves and soared towards Miu who was wide eyed.

"No way, you can use that?" She whispered in awe before breaking out of her daze to dodge the snakes. Anko jumped into the air and threw the snakes around like a whip, bringing it down on her.

"Orochimaru didn't teach you _this _did he?" She taunted, smirking as she landed a blow to her cheek. Miu flew up into the sky, but Anko jumped up against the trees, catching her by the throat. They started to fall with her hands still around her throat.

"You die here!" She yelled as they crashed into the ground, hearing the crack of her bones hit the earth. Dirt flew into the air as the hit shook everything around it, even Kakashi and Deidara's fight. Once he had heard her yell, he knew that she was in rage.

Well there's no stopping her now.

He faced Deidara would now held his side in pain. Sweat dripped down his face as he still continued to launch bombs towards him. Kakashi jumped back and quickly made a summoning justu, summoning Pakkun.

"Pakkun, I need you to go find Anko and make sure she's okay," He ordered, wanting to make sure his companion was safe. The small dog sniffed and then sighed.

"Alright, I'll be back." He replied, jumping off in the direction of the gigantic thud. Kakashi then faced the exhausted Deidara and crossed his arms.

"Why are you here?" He asked, deciding to question the man. The blonde haired ninja sighed and dropped all his weapons.

"Finally man, you finally decided to ask that question! It took you forever!" He complained, throwing his hands up into the air. Kakashi narrowed his eyes as the bomb user put his hands on his head.

"I just was just taking a stroll! And then you guys wandered in! Breaking my peace! Making me fight! Ugh! Such a waste of my TIME! See ya gramps next time we meet, I'll have a reason to fight you," The Akatsuki member replied as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi stood there for a moment, replaying what just happened a few seconds ago. His eyebrows furrowing in confusion, he suddenly remembered Pakkun and Anko. Jumping up, he rushed to meet them.

_Binding_

"Sakura will be one hell of a weapon when that curse mark sets into her blood," Miu whispered with a crazy look in her eyes. She spluttered out blood as Anko grabbed her throat, sitting down on top of her. The crater they had made from the fall surrounded them, deep down in the dirt.

"You made a mistake branding her with the Crescent curse mark, if you think she'll turn over easily to Orochimaru, you're wrong-" Anko replied in a low voice, leaning forward, her pale eyes frightening.

"Oh she'll turn to us, just like Sasuke did." The Sound ninja foretold, a wide grin forming on her lips. Anko inhaled sharply as she started to disappear in smoke. The grip around her throat tightened in anger as she laughed.

"Don't worry, you'll get to see me again soon," Miu said, her voice only a whisper. Punching the empty space with her fist, she winced as the curse mark retreated and the spikes disappeared. Suddenly, Pakkun came up beside her and sniffed her hand, crawling under it to get petted. She smiled softly back at him as he laid there.

"Kakashi, over here!" Pakkun called out to his master, surprising Anko. He landed beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned. She stood up and brushed the dirt off of her torn coat.

"Yeah," She replied, not meeting his eyes.

"C'mon we should go find where Naruto went," Kakashi said as he jumped back into the trees. Anko followed after him silently, still angry about what had happened. Her curse mark was throbbing but she could do nothing but ignore it.

"Is Sakura alright?" She asked, coming up next to him. Kakashi held a worried look in his eye, a frown forming on his face.

"Last time I saw her she was unconscious." He landed down on the ground with Anko by his side. They both entered the town, both looking for either a pink haired girl or a hyper-active ninja.

Anko tilted her head in curiosity as she heard Sakura's laugh near her. Glancing at Kakashi, she could tell that he hadn't heard it from the roar of the busy crowd. Tapping his shoulder, he turned and saw her already walking away.

"Wait!" He said, running up to her and walking at her pace. Anko bent down up against the window and stuck her head through, grinning.

"Yo!"

_Binding_

Sakura jumped as Anko greeted them, her head stuck through the window of the ramen shop. Sasuke glanced up at her and sipped his tea, his own sign of acknowledging her presence. Naruto laughed and set down his bowl excitedly.

"Anko, you're here!" He cheerfully greeted, a grin on his face. Sakura smiled softly but blinked away black dots that wandered into her vision. She pressed her lips together as the curse mark on her shoulder burned. Sasuke noticed this and stared at her for a moment, thinking of some way to help her. Seeing that there was none, he did what he thought was right.

He put a hand under the table and touched Sakura's, holding it softly in his own.

She looked at him in surprise, and back down at the cold hand that was slowly warming up in her own. Seeing that he was trying to comfort her, she gave him a thankful smile and squeezed his hand. Hearing a throat being cleared, she looked back at Anko who's gaze was now directed towards her.

"Sakura, could I speak with you outside for a moment?" She asked, pulling herself out of the window and to the door of the restaurant. Kakashi gave her a look but she brushed it aside, leaving it alone for now. Sakura let go of Sasuke's hand quickly and climbed out of the booth, heading towards the door. Seeing Anko leaning on the wall, she came up in front of her and waited.

"You needed me?" She asked innocently, watching as Anko opened her eyes and step off the wall. She walked up to the Sakura and put an arm around her shoulder strongly, bringing her close. She led her to Kakashi who held a confused look in his eye.

"I need to take her away for a while. We'll be back soon enough to meet with the Raikage." Anko promised, soon leading off the pink haired kunoichi off in some other direction. Kakashi shook his head and entered the restuarant where Sasuke and Naruto were chatting quietly. Sitting down with them, he ordered some tea calmly.

"So Kakashi-sensei, how was the fight?" Naruto asked excitedly, inching closer to hear. He sighed and sat back in the booth, looking up. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, waiting for a reply.

"We ran into Miu, the one who gave Sakura that mark." Immediately, Sasuke's face turned hostile and his eyes became cold. Naruto's held a face full of anger, his blue eyes blazing.

"Where is she? I'm gonna beat her till she-" Kakashi held his hand up to make him stop, taking a sip of his hot tea.

"Relax, Anko fought her. However, it seems that she got away." Naruto growled, anger rising up within him. His personal feelings for Sakura boiled to the top.

"Easy Naruto, Sakura will be fine. You know she won't turn against us." He guaranteed, grinning as Naruto calmed down, sighing. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he looked down at his hands.

"But what if she does?" He asked the inevitable, surprising even the old sensei himself. Kakashi looked down at the table, not wanting to let them know.

"What would happen sensei?" Naruto asked, leaning in out of anxiety.

"She would be unstoppable."

Sasuke, and Naruto jolted in astonishment at his words. _Could she really be that powerful that no one could stop her? _Sasuke asked himself, who had been underestimating her strength till now.

"If she turns to the darkness within her, she won't be the same anymore." Naruto clenched his fists and pounded one on the table in anger. His hair bristled as she glared out the window.

"Well she won't! Sakura wouldn't do that to us! There's nothing for her to hate!" He reassured, possibly comforting himself. Sasuke nodded in agreement, wanting to side with him, however an uneasy hit his gut on this topic.

_Binding_

"Anko, what're we doing?" Sakura asked in the hotel room they rented for the time they were here. Anko had gone into the bathroom and hasn't come back out for minutes. Sakura probably thought that she was dead cause she was gone so long. Suddenly the door flew wide open and she jumped as Anko came out with a bin of water.

"What's that?" The pink haired girl questioned, pointing to the bin. Anko sighed as she pulled off her coat, revealing a large burn on her back. Sakura blinked in surprise as she bent down on the ground, sinking her hands into the water.

"D-don't you care about your wound at all?" Her medical instincts came as she looked over the jounin's shoulder. Anko shook her head and gestured for her to sit down beside her.

"I need you to remove the uniform you've got on." She instructed quietly. Sakura did as she was told and sat down in front of her obediantly.

"Now, I'm going to place a seal on your curse mark got it?" Sakura nodded once as she felt the presence of her hand hover over her bare shoulder.

"This will hurt a bit, but please bear with me. This'll seal it for a while, other than just a chakra seal. You ready?" She asked, making sure.

"Hai!" Sakura confidently replied, her hands balled up against the carpet.

"All right then," Then with that, she brought the hand down on her shoulder. Once the water instantly made contact with her skin, it hissed as steam formed. Anko reached the curse mark after seconds of pain, holding the water there for a minute.

"Argh..." Sakura groaned in pain, tears streaming from her eyes. Anko shushed her and added more water to the batch that was already on her shoulder.

"Just a bit longer..." About ten minutes passed, only the sounds of hissing filling the hotel room. Then, Anko released her hand, followed by Sakura's relieved sigh. She chuckled and patted her pink haired head.

"It's not over yet." Sakura widened her eyes as Anko placed her now dry hands on the seal.

"_This, _will be the most tormenting." Then placing her other hand over the one on the mark, she took a deep breath.

"Binding Art: Three Almighty Seals!" With a powerful surge of chakra, she activated the jutsu which suddenly burst into a bright blue light. Anko squinted her eyes but made sure she could see the black mark on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura tried hard with all her power to not scream...but she couldn't take it anymore. Yelling out in pain, she stopped herself by gritting her teeth and taking breaths through her nose.

Light blue shadows stretched out from the curse mark, wrapping around her arms and trailing down her back to form into a half a heart shaped crest. It glowed bright and pulsed as if there was another living, breathing form in her. Sakura and Anko panted as they both fell on to their backs in exhaustion.

"T-there, t-that'll help you with things." Anko gasped, clutching her heart with her eyes squeezed shut. Sakura panted on the ground, her hands shaking next to her. She grabbed her uniform and slipped it on slowly, wincing as the seals pulsed once more. The jounin coughed as she stood up, stumbling against the bed. Sakura helped her up and set her on the bed.

"What did you even do to me that could make you this weakened?" She asked, confusion and anger in her green, emerald eyes. Anko smiled and pulled her hand away from her heart.

"I gave you a seal that'll keep you from using the power from the curse mark. Using that kind of ninjutsu will kill you and I know that you wouldn't want that. What I did just now also took away some of my lifespan. It's one of those jutsu's that take something very precious to you to give it what you want." She winced as the bones in her body ached.

"No! You shouldn't have done that!" Sakura retorted, standing up in anger. Anko looked up at her and shook her head.

"Lady Tsunade told me come and somehow help you. This was my way of doing that." She quietly stated, standing up clutching her arm. Sakura was about to make a comment but stopped herself, pressing her lips together.

"Since it is my shishou's actions, I'll accept it. However what you did to me was way too extreme. You just shortened your lifespan! A human life is precious!" She countered, tears of anger forming in her eyes. Swiping it away, she slipped on her boots and walked up to the silent jounin.

"I don't really care about that, as long as I can carry out the orders of the Hokage and serve her to the best of my ability, then I'm fine." She replied in a low voice, her bangs covering her eyes. "Let's go, Kakashi is waiting for us back there." She said as she made her way to the door.

Sakura watched her stalk out and breathed out sharply, looking at herself in the mirror. The blue streaks stood out and were still glowing, just a bit. Giving a sad smile, she tenderly touched one, feeling nothing but her normal skin.

"They'll see it..." She said to herself as she walked out, making sure to lock the door. Anko was waiting outside by the time she came down with a stick of dango in her hand. She handed the other stick to Sakura who happily took it.

"What should I do about the marks on my arms?" Sakura asked, glancing down at the blue marks. Anko thoughtfully looked at them and glanced around. Pointing to a clothing shop nearby, she dragged Sakura along and pulled her inside.

"Pick something that is comfortable and that you can easily fight in. This'll be your new uniform, I'll have Shizune tailor some new ones for you. Pick a matching bottom to it as well, oh while your at it, some shoes too. And some accessories! Don't forget those too!" Anko called out excitedly from outside the shop with a mouth full of dango. Sakura frowned but shook it off as she took a glance around the shop. There were a lot of selections there that really caught her eye.

Especially the black ones...she didn't know why but for some reason, it really stood out up against the other light and darkish designs. But this one, was just plain black and it _fascinated _her. Stepped close to it, she looked down and saw that there were matching bottoms and boots already there, set up as if it had been waiting for her to come. Grabbing it along with the boots and skirt, she ran to the dressing room and immediately tried it on.

Minutes later, she stepped out with Anko standing by the door eating her dango. Sakura came back out wearing black knee high boots with buckles on the side, a black skirt with red checkers lines along the bottom, and a black denim vest over a white tanktop. the vest had long draping sleeves that covered the marks perfectly. She even changed the color of her hairband to black. It was like a goth Sakura...

"Wow..." Anko breathed, blinking in surprise as Sakura slipped off the boots to grab a different set of shoes. She fitted on some sandals and looked in the mirror, turning to see her full self.

"Hm," She simply uttered, touching her pink hair. Anko stepped forward and stopped her for a second, surprising her.

"Don't even think about dying your hair black. It wouldn't suit you at all, besides, all I wanted was to get rid of all that pink in your uniform. Now you look better!" She complimented, grinning.

"You really think so?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. Anko nodded in approval and stepped out, leaving Sakura to get her clothes ready. Strapping on her kunai pouch on her leg, she was about to clip on her shuriken bag when she saw a black one in the corner of the store. Grabbing it, she quickly bought it and exchanged her supplies from the old one to the new one. Strapping it on, she stepped out of the door like she was a new person. She met Anko in the street and nodded, thanking her.

"Should we meet them where the Raikage is? Or go back to the restuarant?" She asked, following Anko. Her answer was soon solved when they reached the restuarant, passing through a jumble of people.

"Excuse me," Sakura murmured as she came up to the front, bumping up behind Anko who stood there, rigid. Looking past her, she noticed the silver haired jounin standing in front of his students protectively.

"Sensei?" She whispered in confusion, walking up next to Anko to see what's going on.

Right then and there were the top jounin's of the Country of Lightning, standing there with their weapons drawn. Up in the front was someone who looked very familiar to her. Widening her eyes, she remembered her. The strange white soft hair yet that young and fierce looking face.

Chihiro Lee, the sister of Haru Lee. The one who visited her when the others were gone.

* * *

><p>I want to thank you for reading this chapter! I've really put my heart and soul into this one and I hoped you liked it! Please review and I'll update as soon as possible! Hey, at least I'm not dead like some people think from not updating in so freakin long. LOL.<p>

-FallenWing21


	6. Chapter 5: Haru

Chapter 5: Haru

"Chihiro," Sakura whispered, blinking in complete surprise. Suddenly, someone appeared behind her and when she turned in astonishment, a tan coat obscured her vision. The clang of metal hitting each other echoed as she was pushed back from danger. Stumbling, she whirled around only to meet a shrouded figure with a blood dripping kunai.

Whipping her own out she blocked the attack and stepped back, making sure to dodge all of them. Seeing a pause she ducked under his jab and shoved her elbow into his stomach then finishing it with a punch. The ninja bounced on the ground but then scrabbled back to his feet to only turn around and flee. The ninja's who were standing in front of her teammates started to bark out orders, carrying out the order to chase down that man. Sakura turned to see Anko with a scratch on her face. She ran over to her and smiled in thanks, nodding.

"Sakura-chan!" Knowing that voice, she met eyes with a furious Naruto. Sasuke and Kakashi followed behind, just not as angry.

"Where'd he go? Did he hurt you? I'll clobber him when I get my-" Sakura put a hand on his shoulder grinning.

"It's fine Naruto! The others over there will get him." She nodded over to the running line of shinobi headed after the shrouded figure.

"You changed," Kakashi said bluntly, looking at the sudden change of color. Sakura laughed and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Some things just happen." She thought that he was gonna say something else but someone came up behind him and tapped his shoulder.

"Excuse me," A silver haired ninja, probably in her late teens, wearing a shinobi uniform greeted. She had dark blue eyes and a single red dangly ball earring on her left ear. Chihiro Lee. Naruto instantly turned a light shade of red and nodded back.

"Are you Konoha ninjas?" She asked, meeting everyone's eyes. Kakashi stepped forward for them and spoke instead.

"Yes, we have been sent by the Hokage to heal a certain ninja here." He explained, wondering who it could be all the same.

"It is my brother. We need your help urgently and-"She suddenly stopped talking as her gaze wandered over to grinning Sakura. She blinked for a few seconds and then rushed forward. Sasuke put an arm out to stop her but stopped halfway, realizing.

"Sakura!" Chihiro cried out as she crushed her in a hug. Sakura held her tight with a bright smile on her face, her eyes also smiling.

"It's been so long!" She replied as they release each other to laugh. At that moment the other froze and exchanged glances. All at once they leaned forward with stricken looks on their faces.

"HUH?"

_Haru_

"Haru told me a lot about her once he got back from his mission in Konoha. He said that they became great friends and on another mission, he brought me along! There, I met Sakura! By the way, my name's Chihiro!" She greeted, bowing her head to the others. Sakura sat across from her on the table and took a sip of tea, trying her best to hide the light blue marks on her arms with the long sleeves.

Chihiro looked at her friends meeting their eyes one by one. She met Naruto's first, waiting.

"OH! Hi, my name's Naruto Uzumaki!" He cheerfully said, pointing a thumb at himself. She turned her head to meet the cold eyes of Sasuke's.

"Sasuke Uchiha," He quietly greeted, looking away from her eyes, being bored as usual. Chihiro rolled her eyes and moved on to the next: the silver haired Jounin.

"I'm Kakashi Hatake, nice to meet you Chihiro," He spoke kindly, smiling behind his mask. She chuckled and nodded back, turning her head to meet Anko's smiling face.

"I'm Anko Mitarashi it's a pleasure to meet you," Greeting formally, she nodded her head. Sakura then realized Chihiro's brother. Getting up, she grabbed her hand quickly.

"Your brother," Sakura whispered, afraid it'll be too late. Chihiro widened her eyes, the worry for her brother rushing back.

"C'mon," She hurried, quickly walking through the door. Turning she smiled sadly, "Please, wait here for a while and I'll be back with Sakura soon," Then with that, they shut the door and were off to where her brother was.

"What're we going to do in a room with nothing to do?" Naruto complained flopping on to his back. Sasuke stared stoically out the window, his eyes scanning for any danger. Kakashi sat against the wall reading his book while Anko fiddled with her fingers next to him. He noticed this and glanced at his fingers then to her face.

"Something wrong?" He asked, concerned. The others noticed and walked over to join the conversation. Anko gritted her teeth and looked down at her fingers.

"Yeah, I'm not really sure how long the seal I placed on Sakura will hold. I'm assuming about a week however, as it wears off, the darkness within that curse mark will take over and start to mix in with her chakra more. It was the only seal that would work and block the mark from hurting her temporarily as I thought of trying to find a way to seal it permanently." She explained, frustrated.

"Well I'm sure we can send a message to the Hokage for some help," Naruto suggested, giving some light into the dark.

"No, it'll take her about a week and a half to get the cure down for Shizune has stacked her desk piled with papers." Kakashi countered, giving a negative aura around them.

"Then what do we do?" Sasuke asked, his hand balancing against his knee. Anko ran a hand through her hair sighing and closed her eyes.

"Perhaps, Sakura will find a way to make a cure of her own between healing."

"How can you be so sure that she can though?" Kakashi asked, surprised. Anko laughed and lowered her head in seriousness.

"Because she's the Hokage's apprentice, she's basically become her other replica matching in strength and healing ability."

_Haru_

"He's in here," Chihiro spoke quietly, sliding the door open to the small hospital room. Sakura stepped in first, hearing the faint breathing of her friend. Chihiro came up close to the bed and held her brother's hand in worry. Sakura placed a hand on her shoulder and reassured her that she would be able to heal him.

"Thank you," She whispered, giving her a hug. Sakura sat down beside her and looked at her silver haired friend, bandaged on the chest and around his head, arms and legs as well.

"W-what happened to him?" She asked, surprised by his amount of injuries. Chihiro sighed and shook her head, closing her eyes.

"I-I really don't know. He went on a mission that required eliminating a rogue ninja that killed some of our shinobi, but when he got back, he was all banged up, practically bleeding to death. We immediately got him into surgery for the deep, fatal wounds, but the others just didn't disappear." Sakura narrowed her eyes at the news and looked back at her sleeping friend.

"That's strange; let me see what I can do. Why don't you go back to the others? I'll let you know if something comes up." She said standing up to gather supplies.

"That would be nice," She sighed, making her way to the door. Sakura gave her a smile as she left and turned to her patient who was panting heavily. He was Chihiro's twin and looked exactly alike, only a scar coming from his neck down making the difference.

"Haru," Sakura whispered, taking hold of his hand. It was burning up gradually. Nodding, she put her hands over his abdomen and took a look at his injuries, the green glow on her hands appearing.

"Okay, some tissue damage, broken bones, punctured organs...it doesn't look too bad." She stepped back and suddenly tripped against a loose cord, falling back. Hitting the cart, the glass vials and bottles crashed and her arm landed straight on top of them.

Hissing in pain, she held her bleeding arm and sat up to hear movement. Her head snapping up, she saw Haru sitting up with a shocked look on his face. He was propped up on his elbow with a strained look on his face.

"Haru, don't move okay? I'm fine, just stay put; you're still badly hurt." Sakura said as she stood up from the broken glass slowly hissing once more as bits of glass clung to the open wound. Her mind was still a bit jumbled from what just happened. She'll have to ask him what that was.

"H-how are you?" He whispered his voice weak. She smiled and looked over at him brightly.

"I'm been great. Though it seems like you've been in worse situations," She wiped the blood off with a towel and walked over to the sink to rinse it off. She winced as the cut was washed out and grabbed some bandages from a cabinet. Applying some medicine, she walked back over to him while wrapping her arm up.

"Yeah, Chihiro must be worried," He realized, his eyes widening.

"She is, but she's strong, she knows pull it through," Sakura guaranteed, pulling back the cart to its original place. She heard him laugh softly and blinked, grabbing a dustpan and a broom, sweeping the tiny bits of glass up. Dumping it in the trashcan, she gathered a new set of supplies and set them on the cart.

"Tell me, what happened on that mission?" She asked, sitting down next to him. He lied back down and cringed as a wave of pain hit him. Panting, he coughed and met Sakura's eyes.

"It's all hazy but I'll try to give you the best information I can." She nodded and waited as he cleared his throat, staring straight into the ceiling to recall what had happened.

"I was assigned to take out one of the rogue shinobi that was around our area, being confident and determined as usual, I sought him out, sure that I could defeat him however I…I underestimated him, that man," He narrowed his eyes in anger and clenched his fist tightly. "Mastered all elements,"

"What?" Sakura asked, surprised. No one is able to do that. It's impossible! Haru nodded and continued, taking a deep breath.

"He's stronger than I could've ever imagined. He actually managed to perfect all jutsu's involving each element….but he was my best friend…" Sakura blinked in astonishment as she stared at him, disbelieving.

_Haru_

"_Hey! Takashi! Wait up!" Haru called as he ran to him, waving his hand in the air. Stopping in front of him, he panted, leaning over for air._

"_Hey Haru," His black haired best friend replied quietly. Haru looked up and grinned, chuckling with his hands on his hips._

"_Are you going on a mission?" He asked, glancing at his pack. He fixed his own and adjusted his headband, his silver hair swaying in the breeze._

"_Yup, are you?" Takashi asked, tilting his head to the side. His gray eyes reflected Haru's face as he stared into them._

"_Same! I think I got assigned with you at the last minute, is that okay with you?" Takashi smiled and nodded starting to walk out of the secret passage way. Haru chased after him and kept at his pace, grinning as they chatted about their day. _

…_._

"_Haru! Quick, get the scroll and let's get out of here!" Takashi yelled as he fought off the enemies, clashing against their weapons with his own. _

"_Right!" Haru replied, moving at blinding speed, only a shadow. Of course, they were already Chunins at the age of nine. It was young, but the village needed more people and the two of them got accepted at the same time. _

_Appearing in front of the lake, he peered in and saw the scroll they were looking for at the bottom in a glass box, tightly sealed and locked. Taking a deep breath, he dived in and swam towards the bottom, ignoring the increasing pressure. About to touch the box with his fingers, a shadow passed over him and he turned, immediately hitting against a blade of a sword. A hand grabbed at his throat but he pushed it off with his wrist, striking him upside the face. Kicking him in the chest, he whirled around and picked up the box, about to swim up when suddenly, an electric shock hit him, jolting him to let go of the box. _

_He floated back, dazed when hands grabbed him by the arms, pulling them behind his back. Yelling, bubbles came out of his mouth as he struggled to escape. A foot found itself at the base of his back, pressing hard. Haru widened his eyes and scrunched his nose in anger. Flipping around in the water, he hit the ninja in the chin and darted off towards the box. Slashing the lock apart, he picked it up once more, relieved that there weren't any more shocks and swam towards the surface, unable to hold his breath any longer. Gasping, he jumped into the air and landed on the ground, just as Takashi came up beside him, dripping wet with water._

"_C'mon," He simply said, jumping off into the trees. Haru hadn't known it yet, but something had changed in him._

…

_Their 6__th__ year of being Jounins_

"_What're you doing?" Haru yelled from the edge of the village gates. His friend was already on the other side, his pack already set. Takashi half turned and glared at him through his pale eyes. The moon shined down upon him as shadows covered his friend._

"_Don't follow me." He warned, turning his head away from him. Haru furrowed his eyebrows and stepped forth, only to have a kunai plunge into the ground right in front of his foot, stopping him._

"_Why are you doing this?" He whispered, clenching his fists in anger. He snapped his head to see Takashi standing still, his entire frame shaking._

"_I'm doing this for the sake of the village." He replied with gritted teeth. His hair blocked his eyes from any emotion as he fully turned to face him. _

"_Whatever it is, you know we can do it together." Haru suggested, a hopeful smile on his face. Takashi kept a stoic look on his face as he thrust his hand out to him._

"_If you took this hand right now, you'd be turning your back on the village," He let his hand slowly come back to his side, clenching his fist. "But I need you to stay here to make sure everyone is safe Haru," _

"_No! Takashi, you're my best friend and I _won't _lose you." His best friend smirked and put a hand to his face, his eyes wide._

"_I'm sorry Haru, but what I'm doing, for our village, will only destroy you. I'm the only one who can do it." Haru bit his lip and ran past the gates, his head down. Takashi widened his eyes in surprise as he stopped in front of him, his eyes determined._

"_Then I'll go with you. I won't bother you in any way. Just don't make me lose my one and only best friend." He pleaded softly, looking down at the ground. Takashi's eyes softened as he gazed down at his long time friend, putting a hand on his silver locked head. Haru widened his eyes at this when suddenly the weight lifted from his head. _

_Gasping, he looked up to see that he was gone. Only the footprints to where he was standing before. Haru clenched his jaw and stood rigid, his eyebrows forming that v._

"_If I see you again in the future, I'll be different, and I'll have to kill you because of what I'm doing. However, these years that I've been friends with you…I won't forget that. I'm sorry… Good-bye….Haru," _

_He widened his eyes as Takashi's voice faded away into the breeze. Looking down at his shaking hands, whirlwind of leaves came at him and in his opened hand was Takashi's bracelet. One he always wore no matter what. Suddenly, his breath came out in gasps and he fell on his knees. Staring down at the black beaded bracelet with stains of blood on it, a tear fell into his palm as well, mixing in with the crusted blood on the beads. _

"_Takashi…" He whispered, closing his eyes shut, his eyebrows furrowed together. The memories they had together flashed through his mind all at once; when they were both laughing, eating ramen, going out on missions, talking with friends, everything in his life. And all at once…they vanished. Then, taking a deep breath, he looked up to the mournful moon and screamed his lungs out._

"_TAKASHI!" _

_Haru_

"So are you trying to find him?" Sakura asked, a bit saddened at his story. Haru sighed and put a hand to his face, a frown forming.

"I want to; I want him to remember the memories we had. That we had a friendship, but that's over. He already attacked me and that proves that he must've forgotten." He said solemnly, his eyes narrowing.

"Don't lose that faith Haru," He turned to her, surprised. She had her head down, her hands clenched. "Naruto and I had faith that Sasuke would come back to us. And he did, all because of Naruto, maybe he could be the one who could help you find him, just like Sasuke."

"How long was he gone?" Haru asked, curious.

"He left for three years to train with Orochimaru, he was branded with a curse mark that wanted him to become stronger than he already was. Naruto and I waited for so long, training, striving, living to see him and be with him as a team again. Finally, after so long….Naruto brought him back. After all these years, he had kept that promise to bring him back." Sakura met his eyes and grinned, taking his hand.

"You see…Naruto has this sort of affect on people. Normally, they would think he's a stupid, hyper-active knucklehead- which he is, but he's much more than that. He can get even the coldest people to change and warm up to him. Just because of whom he is."

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading this! I really had some inspirational music with the sad part in this using some BRS OSTS! They are amazing! Though it made me bawl, I loved it! Tons of action as well! Hoped you enjoyed the chapter! I'll update ASAP! Oh yes, and please leave a review!<p>

-FallenWing21


	7. Chapter 6: Retrieval

Chapter 6: Retrieval

Sakura froze when sharp pain hit her square in the back causing her to stumble during her work. The green chakra around her hands dissipated as she fell to her knees. The seals on her arms pulsed quickly, synchronizing to the pace of her heart.

"Sakura?" Haru asked in a concerned tone as he strained himself to see what was going on. He held his bandaged stomach and sat up, wincing in pain.

"You shouldn't move Haru," She replied in a strained voice, her head in her arms as a bead of sweat rolled down her cheek.

"A-are you okay?" He inquired anyway as he watched her. She nodded and lifted her head, trying to calm her breathing down when another prick hit her once more in the back. Slamming her head down into her arms again, she cried in pain as she clenched her fists tightly till they turned white.

"H-hey!" Haru exclaimed, reaching out to touch her shoulder. When his fingers barely met her skin, he could feel the heat coming off that he had to pull his hand back. He caught a glimpse of her struggling to stay awake and immediately jumped out of bed despite the pain. He ran over to the button by the door and slammed his palm into it sounding the alarm.

With that done, he made his way over to Sakura who felt like she was on fire. Her skin was scorching hot Haru even spotted the steam. Beads of sweat formed on his back as blood started to soak into the bandages. He lifted her on to the bed and set her down gently before rushing over to the sink to grab some cold water. Suddenly, the door crashed open and Chihiro stepped in astonished.

"What happened? Haru!" She exclaimed, seeing her severely injured brother actually able to stand up. The rest of the gang piled in, only to see their comrade on the bed, gasping like there was no tomorrow.

"Sakura!" Naruto cried out, running over to the bed frantically. Sasuke followed after him, showing a hint of alarm in his dark onyx eyes as Kakashi examined her. Anko stood on the other side, gripping the edge of the bed in worry.

"What happened to her?" Kakashi asked calmly as he turned to see Haru walking back with Chihiro holding the bin of ice cold water. He clutched his stomach and gritted his teeth, his knees buckling from underneath him. Sasuke was the closest to him and instantly caught him, putting his arm over his shoulder as he helped him stand up. He led him to the chair by the bed and let him down slowly as to not open his wounds once more.

"I-I dunno; she suddenly collapsed and started gasping as if something was piercing a vital spot." Haru replied in a hoarse whisper, coughing in his hand. Anko narrowed her eyes and met Kakashi's who immediately understood.

"Chihiro, would you mind staying here with Anko while the rest of us go take a walk?" He asked her as he grabbed Naruto by the shoulder. He led him out of the room with Sasuke behind him, carefully supporting Haru as he made it out the door.

"Sure," She replied, looking a bit confused as they left.

"Kakashi-sensei! What's the deal?" Naruto exclaimed as Sasuke pulled the door shut behind him. Through the glass he could see Anko and Chihiro both on each side of the bed, crowding Sakura. Narrowing his eyes, he placed Haru down on the bench and sat down beside him. Kakashi leaned against the door so that none of them would be able to see what would happen.

"It's the seal that Anko placed. It's reacting to the chakra from the curse mark." He explained in a serious tone, his gray eye distant. Haru's breath hitched in his throat as he leaned forward.

"What…did you just say?" He asked in a quiet voice, stunning everyone else. Kakashi blinked at him but then realized, his eyebrows scrunching together.

"That's right…you don't know do you?" He inquired, crossing his arms as he glanced over into the room. He could see Sakura's legs kicking out as Chihiro tried to hold her down. Anko had a strained look on her face as she did something that he couldn't see.

"Know what?" Haru asked in worry, taking a glance at a silent Sasuke. He was staring at the floor and was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. Naruto was even quiet at that moment, his bright blue eyes growing distant as well.

"Sakura has a curse mark," Kakashi inevitably replied, his tone dead serious as Haru widened his eyes. "And its killing her as I speak," He added quietly when a piercing scream hit the air. Everyone jolted and Kakashi cringed as he blocked the view for everyone to not see.

"What's going on in there?" Naruto exclaimed in frustration, angry that he couldn't be there to help his teammate out.

"How did this happen?" Haru asked his head in his hands. Sasuke glanced over at him and narrowed his eyes to slits, obviously getting irritated.

"Orochimaru that's who," Naruto hissed, his name filled with such hatred.

"One of the three legendary Sannin?" Haru asked his eyes widening once more.

"Yes," Kakashi answered with his eyes closed. Another scream passed their ears and Naruto jumped, his eyes shut at the sound of his best friend's voice in pain.

"What's happening to her?" Sasuke asked for the first time, catching Naruto's and Kakashi's attention. He had his leg crossed over the other and had a frown on his face. His dark onyx eyes were clouded with concern.

"She's….well….I don't even know myself. You'll have to ask Anko when they're done." The teacher replied, looking over his shoulder once more. The kicking had stopped and Anko stepped back from the bed, a stricken look on her face as she leaned against window with a hand to her mouth. She started coughing heavily with Chihiro rushing to her side in concern as she fell to her knees. Realizing it was over, Kakashi burst through the door and went over to the Jounin's side, helping her up. Naruto ran over to Sakura's side as Sasuke slowly ambled in with Haru in pain.

"Is she okay? What did you do?" Naruto asked, the questions flying out of his mouth. Sakura's eyes were open as they stared at the ceiling; however she wasn't really there, her eyes giving off that distant look as if she weren't alive. Her palms were facing up with splotches of blood on them. Her pink hair was fanned out on the pillow as if she had just fallen on it.

"I tried to stop it from taking her," Every head turned to Anko as she started to explain in a whisper, Naruto widening his eyes. "But it was too late. The chakra had already gone through the seal and by the time we had gotten in the room, it was already flowing in her blood." She finished, looking solemn as she glanced at Sakura.

A blur speeded past Sasuke and in an instant, Naruto had Anko pinned against the wall with his fist clenching her jacket. His blue eyes were widened in anger as Anko stared down at him with a surprised look on his face.

"Oi! Naruto," Sasuke exclaimed as he walked up to his friend. Kakashi had his hand on his shoulder, trying to pry him off, however Naruto didn't seem to notice at all.

"You _tried _to stop it? You _should've _stopped it! She's our friend! How can you just let that happen to her? I promised myself that I wouldn't let anything happen to _any _of my friends after Sasuke came back-but now look!" Naruto yelled, thrusting his hand out to his technically not there friend. Anko narrowed her eyes as she met Naruto's blazing ones once more.

"Naruto-"

"We've known her all her life and all you did was _try?_"

"Naruto, calm yourself," Kakashi quietly said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke crossed his arms as Naruto released Anko from his tight grip and stepped back next to him. Chihiro went up to Anko and took her wrist.

"Isn't there some sort of way to get her back? I do believe that we could've done more than just _try _like Naruto had said." She asked, looking back at Sakura.

"There is but I'm not one hundred percent positive it'll work," Anko looked doubtfully at Sakura a second and took a glance at Naruto who was glaring at the floor, his fists clenched.

"We have to at least try," He softly suggested, gritting his teeth.

Sighing, she walked up to Sakura and closed her eyes with a simple swipe of her hand. Lowering her head, her frown slowly turned up into a smile. Meeting everyone else's eyes, she pointed at Sasuke.

"Alright! Let's give it a shot! Sasuke, you'll need to stay here. The rest of you, stay in the back or you'll just get in the way," Anko instructed, as Kakashi took Haru from the chair and led him to the back of the room. Sasuke stood on the other side of the bed and waited for Anko's orders as she handed him a piece of rock with small gems glimmering on the inside of the cracks.

"Sasuke," He looked up and saw her eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" He asked coldly, keeping his ground. After a moment, she breathed out and looked at the rock in her hand.

"Can I trust you to help bring her back?" He jolted in surprise at her question and examined his own hand; the memories of leaving the village with Sakura crying after him, his meeting with them after three years, and Naruto finally bringing him back flashed through his mind.

"Yes," Anko grinned and placed the rock in one of Sakura's palms.

"Good, now place the rock I gave you into her hand and put yours on top of it. Yes, just like that. Don't move your hands one inch or this whole thing will blow up in our faces and we won't be able to see her again." Anko directed, watching as Sasuke followed what she asked. "Now, close your eyes and on my word, release your chakra into the rock."

"Ready?" Anko shut her own eyes and pressed her hands on to the rock, leaning forward. Sasuke held the same position and waited patiently. Naruto watched anxiously from the side, wanting to get his best friend back from that evil chakra.

"Now! Gem Jutsu: Invasion!" In one second the room was absolutely calm, and in the next, a mixture of blue and purple chakra surrounded the hospital bed, giving off the sound of energy, blowing wind into the room and swirling around everyone.

Chihiro gaped in awe as Anko released more, yelling as her wave of chakra became more powerful. Sasuke did the same, his face straining at the effort. Kakashi furrowed his eye brows as he saw the stones in Sakura's hands start to melt, becoming smoother. _Please let this work. Bring back my student. _He thought, clenching his fists together.

With a flash of light, the mix of purple and blue became a bright black and white, moving Anko and Sasuke's minds somewhere else.

_Retrieval_

Sasuke stumbled as they landed on what seemed to be a dark room. Anko straightened beside him and brushed her coat off, taking a glance at him.

"Are you alright?" She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," He quietly replied, looking around what seemed to be a dark room. Yet, if it was dark, how could he see Anko? "Where are we?" He inquired, meeting her eyes.

"This dark place is Sakura's mind." He froze, only able to see a dark chasm in front of him.

"There's nothing here," He spluttered, astonished. He heard a bitter laugh from the Jounin and cocked his head.

"Of there isn't, the curse mark's already taken over; which is why this'll be hard to bring her back." She sighed and put a hand to her head, looking skyward which was funny because there was no sky.

"I knew this wouldn't work." She said to herself quietly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and took hold of her wrist, dragging her forth.

"We don't know till we try, that's what Naruto forced into me."

After about thirty minutes of wandering, Sasuke stopped in his tracks as he saw something in the distance. Anko came to a stop next to him and also spotted a figure. Coming up to it, he gasped softly when he caught the color of her pink hair.

A small little Sakura was sitting on the ground, her clothes torn and dirty as she cried softly; her hands covering her face. She looked up when she heard their footsteps, only to gasp in astonishment.

"W-who are you?" She asked through hiccups as she stood up, wiping her tears away. Sasuke noticed that the curse mark's flames had started to crawl over her neck. It hasn't gone over fully, but it will soon he realized. Anko bent down to her height and smiled, putting a hand on her pink head.

"I'm Anko, and this is Sasuke, do you mind telling me what's going on?" She asked slowly, hoping that the little Sakura would understand. The green eyed child blinked and nodded, sniffling.

"I was walking with my mommy to go to the park, but she just disappeared! I didn't know what to do, so I…I sat down and started to cry…." A tear escaped her eye and Anko reached up to wipe it away.

"Aw, it's okay. We'll help you find her. Tell me, what's your name?" She inquired sweetly, standing up to her full height. Sakura took a glance at Sasuke and blinked innocently.

"Sakura," She replied, taking hold of Anko's hand.

"Okay, we'll go with you to find your mom," She suggested, keeping a grin.

"Wait, so she doesn't recognize us?" Sasuke asked in a low voice, glancing at Anko. She shook her head and casted her gaze down at the little skipping Sakura.

"This was when she was little; one of her memories." She replied in the same tone, grinning as the little girl looked up at her.

"Don't worry okay? We'll get you there in no time!" She cheerfully said, giving her a high five. Sakura giggled and turned her head over to a silent Sasuke.

"Hey, Sasuke, how come you're not talking?" She asked kindly, her green eyes filled with curiosity. He looked silently down at her and met Anko's eyes. They told him to just be himself and _answer. _

"Uh…I just didn't have anything to say." He quietly said, making an effort. She smiled and grabbed hold of his wrist that was shoved down his pocket. Pulling it out, she held his hand and swung it back and forth.

"You're nice Sasuke!" She complimented, grinning at him with bright eyes. He looked at her in surprise and slowly loosened up, even cracking a small smile for her. She looked ahead and slipped out of his hold, pointing ahead.

"Look! I think I see my mommy!" She cried out, running ahead of the two Jounin's. Anko looked alarmed as she ran off, crying out.

"Wait Sakura!" She exclaimed, running after her with Sasuke by her side, soon catching up to the little girl. Coming up behind her, they saw that she was rigid as she looked at her mother.

"Mommy?" She asked, seeing the shadowed figure of the woman in front of her. Suddenly, it was as if lights flashed on and there she was, smiling creepily at her daughter, with blood blossoming in the middle of her stomach.

"Mommy what's wrong?" She carefully asked, reaching out to her cautiously. Anko gently stopped her, pulling her back as her mother started to fall backwards. Thumping on to her back, Sakura struggled against Anko's grip.

"Mommy! Mommy!" She cried out, tears of fear streaming down her face. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as a figure appeared behind the dead mother, a gleaming weapon in their hand. He stepped in front of the two girls, his katana out and his arm thrust in front of them protectively. The figure pulled back their hood and he widened his eyes in shock as Orochimaru's pale white face and yellow snake like eyes.

"Sasuke, keep going, this is just a memory; he won't do anything to us." Anko whispered as she held the crying Sakura in her arms, gently rubbing her back. Sasuke glared at his used to be sensei and nodded and slowly moved forward, cautious as they made their way around him. Sheathing his weapon, he stepped in line with Anko as she put Sakura down.

"You have to be brave okay?" Anko said as she wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her jacket. Sakura sniffled and nodded her eyes red from the salty tears.

"I'll try," She whispered, turning around to hold her hand. Soon, the three of them walked on, only to come across a splatter of blood on the ground. Sakura froze in place as she stared at it, her hands shaking. Not even a moment after, there was a loud yell and a crash of glass against the ground. Alert, Sasuke and Anko ran with Sakura in her arms to the source of the sound. Sasuke jolted in place as his heart thumped hard in his chest. Anko didn't breathe at the sight in front of her and Sakura was there, frozen at the sheer terror.

Her older self, being held by the scruff of her shirt by the pale faced, snake eye like man. She gritted her teeth as he spoke to her, his lips moving slowly.

"Ah Sakura Haruno, you'll become a great experiment for one of my students in the future. However when she does take you, you'll remember nothing of this day. The day your family was killed and how _you _somehow are the only one alive." He laughed, his tongue slithering out of his mouth.

Suddenly the door slammed open and Sakura's parents rushed in, their eyes widening as they saw their daughter.

"Orochimaru! Give us back our daughter!"

Orochimaru turned his head slightly and flicked his wrist. Sakura opened her mouth and screamed.

"No! Get out of here! You'll die!"

Out of nowhere, two gigantic snakes tore through the screen doors of the house and charged at them at lightning speeds. Sakura's parents pulled out their weapons, ready to fight. The snakes opened their jaws and struck. Anko covered little Sakura's eyes quickly, just in time before the blood splattered all over the door post and on the floor. The older Sakura looked past Orochimaru's shoulder, her eyes only fixated on the spot where her parents were before. A tear streaked down her cheek when she suddenly snapped. She widened her eyes and clenched her fists as she met his snake like ones.

"OROCHIMARU!" She yelled, smacking his grip off her shirt. Jumping back, she grabbed one of the katana's placed on the mantle and unsheathed it, casting aside the scabbard as she placed herself in an offensive stance. She bent down on her knees and widened her eyes.

"YOU'LL REGRET FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE FOR DOING THAT!" She screamed, casting a jutsu on the katana, causing it to glow a blue color. She charged at him about to strike when she froze, the entire scene froze. Then, in slow motion, it started up again, soon going back to its original speed.

There was an explosion right when she made contact with Orochimaru's skin, sending her back into the wall, the katana flying off to the other side of the room. A hand grabbed her by the throat and Orochimaru's face was half burned off as he grinned.

"You certainly are powerful Sakura; therefore, you'll make an excellent experiment." He hissed, as Sakura clenched her fists, blood dripping down the side of her face.

"One day I'll kill you because of what you've done." She threatened, the words coming from her heart. Sasuke could see it in her blazing green eyes. Orochimaru chuckled and tightened the grip on her throat causing her to cry out, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I'm afraid not." Then with a simple twitch of his fingers, Sakura's eyes became blank and soon rolled to the back of her head. The little Sakura in Anko's arms also became unconscious, becoming limp in her arms.

A bright light shone through the memory, casting it aside, causing Sasuke to shield his face, when as the light cleared, he saw a figure floating in the air. Widening his eyes, he slowly walked forward with Anko, who was as easily shocked. Anko sank to her knees as the Sakura in her hands started to disappear, slowly fading into the darkness. Looking up, she closed her eyes and got up, coming next to Sasuke.

"Sakura," She whispered to the floating girl in what seemed to be a shield from the curse mark. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he pointed to the crack at the edge of the shield.

"The shield won't be able to hold for long." He said, walking up to it. He placed a hand on it and immediately received a shock.

"Then we have to work fast to get her out of there. There's only a limited amount of time for this jutsu."

"Well how much time do we have left?"

"About twenty minutes."

Sasuke sighed and took a glance at his katana's hilt. Unsheathing it, he looked at its blade and shoved it into the shield, sending out sparks. Anko rushed forward and grabbed his shoulder.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She exclaimed, trying to pull the katana out. However it was stuck in there like glue.

"We have to get her out as soon as possible right?" He retorted, pushing it more in.

"But what you're doing is just-!" She took a glance at the shield and saw the crack in it become deeper, adding more to it. It spread and circled the round shield, soon reaching its starting point.

It suddenly shattered and the curse mark seemed to react instantly. It lashed out as if it were alive and went straight for a falling Sakura. Sasuke rushed forward at the same time sheathing his katana, and caught his friend in his arms. Grunting, he stood up and ran up to Anko who cast a shield around them.

"Hurry! We have to get away from this!" Anko yelled, performing as many jutsu's as she can.

"It's all around us! What're you talking about?" Sasuke replied as he carefully looked down at Sakura who had a strained look on her face. Anko let out an exasperated sigh and set up a momentary barrier between them, and the lashing curse mark.

"Alright, bend down." She placed her hands in one of Sakura's and instructed him to do the same. Closing her eyes, she breathed out. "Release your chakra on my word." Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Ready…"

A crack formed in the barrier.

"Now!"

The barrier shattered into pieces and in charged the darkness just as Sasuke and Anko release their chakra, creating their own barrier that repelled the attacks of the mark. With their minds moving upwards, they were moved back into the present.

_Retrieval_

Sasuke snapped open his eyes and looked up at Anko who looked easily the same way. At the same time, they both turned to look at Sakura whose eyes were now focused and wandering around the room.

"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, running up to the bed next to Sasuke. Anko let go of her hands, yet Sasuke still hadn't realized that he could. Kakashi, Chihiro, and Haru came up to see Sakura sitting up, smiling.

"I'm sorry you guys," She gave them all a weak smile and earned herself and whack on the head.

"Hey! What'd you do _that _for?" She complained at Chihiro who was grinning with watery eyes. "Oh, h-hey did I do something?" She asked, taking her hand. Chihiro laughed and shook her head, hugging her friend tightly.

"No! Nothing at all! I'm just glad your back!" She exclaimed, tears running down her cheeks.

All the while, Sasuke hadn't let go of her hand ever since she woke up.

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><p>Thanks guys for reading! I worked real hard on this chapter today so I hoped you liked it! Please leave a review before you go okay? I'd really appreciate it!<p>

FallenWing21


	8. Chapter 7: Recruit

Chapter 7: Recruit

"Sasuke? Where ya heading?" Naruto asked as his dark haired friend started to walk out the room. A moment ago he had realized that he was still holding Sakura's hand and needed to cool down from almost punching his blonde haired friend in the face from his teasing.

"Out," He grunted back, waving behind him as he climbed down the steps. Naruto's raised hand, twitched as he narrowed his eyes at the retreating figure.

"Eh?" A hand landed on his shoulder as Kakashi watched his student vanish, already knowing what he was up to the moment he left.

"Don't worry about him Naruto, he's just got some things on his mind." He quietly reassured, giving him a grin before heading out as well. He stared after his sensei, shocked by his words.

"Hey Sakura, are you sure you can walk?" He turned around to see his pink haired friend, moving to climb off the bed, swinging her legs over the side. Naruto walked over to help her out but she shook her head, steadying herself.

"I'm fine Naruto, thank you though." Sakura kindly declined, grinning like she usually did. Anko looked from the side and averted her gaze to the ground, conflicted emotions behind her pupil less eyes. Making her decision, she came to Sakura's side and patted her shoulder, signaling her to follow. She hesitated for a second but decided anyway, going out the door.

Anko shut it behind her and leaned on it, having Sakura sit down on the bench. She looked up at her, her green dazzling eyes curious.

"Did you want to talk to me?" Anko closed her eyes, visually planning out what she wanted to say. Crossing her arms, she breathed out sharply and met her eyes. Judging from the look she saw, Sakura gasped softly and lowered her head, her fists slowly curling.

"You saw something didn't you? Something you weren't supposed to see." She said in a low voice, so soft that Anko had to lean forward in order to hear.

"I had and it wasn't pleasant at all. Do you know what it was?" She asked, testing to see if it really was true; that that memory was pushed to the back of her mind, permanently there. Seeing the confused look on Sakura's face, she instantly knew, closing her eyes once more.

"N-no, sorry," Sakura replied weakly, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. After a moment of silence, Anko turned and glanced at her from the side, taking the handle of the door in her hand.

"Why don't you go out for a bit okay? Get some fresh air." Entering the room, she locked Sakura out, leaving her dazed to what had just happened. She sat back on the bench, thinking all the while, not noticing the gaze of the silver haired Jounin from the corner of the hallway; his eyes sorrowful.

_Recruit_

He made his way into the town, his hands shoved down his pockets, silently walking through the streets. People didn't seem to notice his presence as he passed by, going on with their daily lives. His katana softly hit the side of his calf as he stopped at a shop. Ladies that crowded it immediately split as Sasuke stepped in the middle, looking at the items being sold.

He knew that they were whispering about him, how cute he was, if he had a girlfriend which then made everything worse. A scowl formed on his lips and he heard them squeal in a hushed tone.

"What can I do for you?" A young lady asked from behind the table of items, a friendly smile on her face. Sasuke glanced up slowly, then noticing the light tinge of pink that was appearing on the girl's cheeks, rolling his eyes instantly.

"Bracelets, what colors do you have?" He asked in a quiet voice, making them fangirl over him even more.

"Oh, umm why not come in? We have a variety here." She suggested, moving aside as Sasuke quietly accepted, coolly stepping inside. As he passed by the manager, she looked like she was about to faint. He really did have this effect on them, it was weird.

Stopping in front of what seemed like thousands of bracelets, he looked through each of them carefully, searching for the right colors. Spotting it, he took one hand out of his pocket and slowly reached inside, all the way in the back. His fingers touching it, he hooked it on to the bracelet and pulled it out, tossing it up to catch it. The girls whispered excitedly as they grinned at the Uchiha.

There in his hand was a simple weaved pink and black bracelet, perfect for her size. Smiling softly, he handed it to the girl and stepped back out of the store to the front.

"Is this all you wanted?" The owner asked, tilting her head to the side.

Giving her a small nod, he glanced to the side and watched the villagers walking through the streets, chatting and enjoying their time. Turning his attention back to the owner, he handed her a couple coins and took the bracelet from her hand, stuffing it in his pocket.

"Thank you very much!" She called as he started to walk away, his usual impassive expression on his face. Sasuke waved back in response, earning the squeals from the girls. He kept his eyes forward, his thoughts on what had happened only a few hours ago.

_So her parents died because of _him…

_Why did he even hide the memory from her? _

_What was his purpose in doing tha-_

"Kya!" A small cry jumped him out of his thoughts as he bumped into somebody who took a step back. He reacted the same way and saw her pink hair and dark uniform. He heard her mutter, "Sorry," and started to walk past him when, only a few feet away, he called her.

_Recruit_

"Sakura,"

She froze in placed when he called her name, slowly turning to face him, eyes wide. He noticed that her fists were clenched at her sides, her face sheet white.

"Oh it's just you Sasuke," She softly realized, giving him a small pained smile. He stared at her, bringing her under his gaze, dark and intense. He also saw that she didn't blush like she did before. Sakura fumbled with her fingers as people passed by, trying to get the words out.

"C-could I talk to you for a second?" She asked her voice even quieter than before. He looked at her fragile frame for a moment longer and closed his eyes, turning around.

"Let's go." He simply said in a low voice, walking ahead like he usually did. Walking on, he heard the approaching footsteps that caught up to his, following behind him. Chuckling inwardly, memories of when they were little flashed through his mind.

The duo made their way to the park where it was all calm, people chatting and enjoying their time. Sasuke made his way up to the branch of a tall oak tree and saw Sakura flop down on to her back on the soft grass, her bright green eyes meeting his silently. He sat down on the branch, his feet hanging over the edge, shoes off the heel.

"What did you want?" He asked coldly, yet softly, careful and cautious. Sakura averted her eyes away from his, breaking contact as she picked at the grass besides her.

"I realized that you saw something when you came to get me. Something that both of you-Anko and yourself- weren't supposed to see…..I need you to tell me what it was." She drawled out, letting go of the grass to meet Sasuke's eyes once more. She was surprised to see them filled with a certain pity, or was it something else?

"Why do you need to know?" Sasuke retorted back, stalling the time when her heart will crumble.

"Anko, she asked me if I remembered anything but I couldn't. Now I'm curious…." Sakura trailed off, her arm falling in front of her eyes as blackness floated in her mind. Sasuke was silent for a moment, his mind in a raging war whether to tell her, or to not. Sakura lifted her arm to see his hair covering his eyes as he kept quiet. Sitting up, she looked up at him, eyes curious.

"Sasuke?"

He pressed his lips together as he stuffed his hand in his pocket, feeling the bracelet with his fingertips. Sighing, he lifted his head to see Sakura staring at him, eyes wide. He blinked and jumped down, leaning against the tree instead. He met her eyes, the dark swirls boring into hers.

"What happened in there, you honestly don't remember it?" He asked before replying, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Sakura shook her head slowly, the look of puzzlement in her eyes. Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes.

"It was the night your parents were killed, and how _you _were the only one left alive." He waited for a cry of bewilderment, or a sob, but it never came. Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Sakura, her pink hair blocking her eyes, her entire frame shaking. All the sounds around them stopped and all Sasuke could hear was his own heartbeat.

"So that's what happened," She whispered in such a soft voice. Sasuke breathed quietly as she stood still when she suddenly chuckled, catching him off guard. He looked at her shocked that she'd react like that.

"I always knew that they were just fakes," Sakura muttered to herself, clenching her fists. She glanced up and met Sasuke's eyes, utter anger and sadness filling the green empty space.

"My parents at home, they're not real." She said bluntly, blinking. Sasuke recognized that look in an instant; it was the look of someone who was plotting out for revenge. He stepped forth, only a few inches away from her and looked down, seeing her lowered head.

"Sakura, don't choose the wrong path," She tilted her head up to just stare at his chest while he spoke. "The choices you'll make, now that you know will affect what you do in the future….I…." He trailed off, trying to find the words to say, struggling. "I don't want you to…end up like me…."

Sakura lifted her head to meet his eyes, surprised by his words. What she saw in there, changed how she looked at him, what he had done in the past had vanished from the look in his eyes; onyx eyes full of regret, pain, and misery. She gazed up at him, regretful for how she treated him.

"Going after that person will just destroy you and…we all…care about you." Sakura was speechless for a moment, her mind blank when the inevitable question came up.

"Who killed them?" She asked quietly, still keeping her sights on him. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he took a moment to answer, sighing.

"Will you go after him if I tell you?" He countered, an eye brow raised. Sakura lifted a shoulder, lowering her head to stare at the grass. After a minute, Sasuke breathed out sharply and ran a hand through his hair.

"Orochimaru," He quietly replied, waiting to see Sakura's reaction. He saw her tense, the color on her face draining into that pale sheet white. Her hands were shaking with-he couldn't tell, rage or just absolute thirst for revenge? Without even knowing, he put his hands on her shoulders softly, squeezing them gently as he shook her to get her attention.

"Whatever you do, don't go after him. It's what he would want if and when you found out. His other student is probably already waiting for you, to fall in her trap…." He paused to still see her head down, bangs covering her eyes. "Sakura," He realized that his voice had come out in a pleading whisper. She suddenly tore out of his grasp, and turned, her back to him. He watched as her hands shook beside her, her figure trembling.

"Promise me you won't do it." Sasuke said his cold tone back in his system. She whirled around, catching him by surprise with blazing green eyes, but no tears.

"_Just shut up Sasuke!"_ She snapped, fists clenched, "Look…" She said in a shaky voice, her stare going right through him. "I know that you all want to protect me-but it just _won't work anymore!_ She's going to come after me; I can feel it and there's _nothing _you can do to stop it! Orochimaru has placed his mark on me and you _know _he's gotten stronger! So just…stop asking me of something that I can't do…" She trailed off, letting out a trembling breath, panting.

Sasuke stared at her, his onyx eyes showing with anger and pity for his best friend. He released a breath and took two strides to close the gap between them, immediately wrapping his arms around her. Sakura tensed under his touch, astonishment on her face. He bent over and buried his face in her shoulder, his warmth spreading through her.

"Sakura, you know how we are. We'll do anything we can to stop Orochimaru and his apprentice from taking you and you know that. We're your friends and we'll do everything we can to keep you safe." He said in her ear as he felt her arms wrapping around his back. Smiling softly, he let go and took a step back, putting his hand in his pocket. Sakura looked back at him; face a light tinge of pink as she gave him a small smile.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier…Sasuke," He thought she was about to add "-kun" at the end of his name but was a bit disappointed when she didn't.

"Doesn't matter," He replied, brushing it off coolly. His hand grabbed on to the bracelet in his pocket as he slowly pulled it out.

"Close your eyes and put your hand out," He said as she did so, closing the gap once more to drop the bracelet in her hand. She opened her eyes and as soon as she saw the bracelet, she broke out into a smile, meeting his eyes.

"Thanks," She quietly uttered, slipping it on. Sasuke nodded and turned, about to walk away when she grabbed his wrist, stopping him. Turning his head slightly, he looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"See you later, Sasuke-_kun._" She beamed back at him as he stood there for a second, absorbing what she just said. Giving her a small smile, he rolled his eyes and slipped out of her grip, walking forward.

He waved back at her over his shoulder before he turned a corner, disappearing from sight. Sakura grinned as she looked at her bracelet, seeing the pink and black colors woven together. Her curse mark throbbed, but she breathed deeply and cast it aside, making her way back to the hospital.

_Recruit_

"Orochimaru, are you sure about the choice you're making?" Miu asked as she fell in step beside her master, watching as he put a hand to the tree that marked the end of the trail. His bright yellow eyes met hers as he smiled, nodding.

"Yes, this will gain us a big advantage, to them and to us Miu, so be kind to them." He explained, reaching into his pack slowly. Miu waited as he took out a black cloak with red clouds designed all over it. It was a long cloak that reached down to his ankles.

"Here, wear this. I do not have an extra for you, so you may use mine." Miu was surprised as he wrapped it around her shoulders affectionately, moving gracefully. She turned a light tinge of pink as she looked up at her master.

"T-thank you," She stuttered, surprised. Orochimaru smiled and closed his eyes, putting a hand on her head.

"Now, let us go in." He ushered, placing his hand on her back, leading her forward. There was a large vast cave in front of them with a seal posted at the top. The two of them jumped down to the water that surrounded it and walked through the barrier, already having access.

Miu narrowed her eyes as they adjusted to the darkness within, spotting figures inside. Moving instantly to defend her master, she whipped out kunai from her pouch and jumped in front of him when he put a hand on her wrist. Looking back, he shook his head, staring straight ahead. She backed off and relaxed, stepping back to his side.

"Orochimaru? Is that really you?" A loud voice called, echoing around them, bouncing off the walls. Her teacher stepped forth, bringing her behind him with a swipe of his hand.

"Surprised to see me alive, Pain?" He asked, a small hint of teasing in his voice. Laughter came from deep within, rumbling the cave.

"I really didn't expect you to come back. I am assuming you wish to come back to us?" The man called Pain asked, still not revealing himself. Orochimaru paused and looked at Miu who was looking straight ahead at the loud voice.

"I have a new recruit for you, as well as I." A chorus of shouts filled the darkened place, making Miu flinch in astonishment.

"For real?"

"You've actually found someone willing to come?"

"We could use some, after losing both Uchiha's…."

"SILENCE!"

The chatter immediately stopped as footsteps approached them. Miu heard the sound of someone's hands clapping and suddenly, torches lit up, making her shield her eyes. When she glanced up again, a man, with orange hair and purple eyes with rings around it stood a few feet away from her and her master. He had tons of piercings all over his face, in the bridge of his nose and in his ears. He also wore a black cloak with red clouds on it.

"_This _is the new recruit we're receiving?" He asked in disbelief, narrowing his strange eyes at her. Miu scowled and clenched her fists, offended by his words. She kept quiet however, for she did not want to disappoint Orochimaru.

"I can tell you, she has the speed and abilities to fight and do your duties when asked." Orochimaru replied simply, raising his head up in pride. Pain raised his eye brows in surprise and crossed his arms boringly.

"Is that so?" He asked with a tilt of his head, "Fine then." Then with a snap of his fingers, Orochimaru went flying into the wired arms of Kakazu, binding him down. Miu looked back at her master, in an attempt to save him, but the look he gave her, stopped her.

A look of: _show them the skills you have. Show them what you can do. _Turning back to the man with orange hair, she positioned herself in a fighting stance, glaring at him with fury. Pain didn't react, only giving a nonchalant scoff as he looked to the side, addressing one of the members.

"Konan," He called, hearing a rustle of paper.

"Right," Her voice was right beside Miu's ear, making her react instantly. Jumping to the side, she avoided the small paper shuriken, deflecting them with her kunai. Sliding on the ground, she charged through, slicing through the bits of paper, making a gap in the whirlwind. She made her way to Pain, who simply waved his hand to bring down a large sharp piece of rock towards her. Miu jumped to the side and turned for him, only to see him launch another rock at her.

"Your fight right now is Konan; I want to see _exactly _what you can do." As soon as she heard his words, little paper birds flew in front of her face, carrying on their backs, paper bombs. They blew up in her face, sending her back.

As the smoke cleared, Konan composed herself from the slips of paper, watching as the smoke cleared. She smiled slightly as she saw Miu put her arms down, the wings from her curse mark, flapping away the dust in the air.

"Orochimaru is right Pain; she has abilities no one else here does." As soon as she finished that sentence, Miu flashed under her chin and drove into Konan's chest an electric fireball, exploding on contact. She flew back, turning around as Konan appeared behind her, made of paper, sending paper kunai's at her. Dodging them, she flipped in the air, making a hand seal.

"Scorch Element: Bullet Rain!" She yelled as a buzz of light flashed through the cave, blinding Konan for a minute, as fire and wind elements combined together to create a rain of bullets, rapidly pelting into the ground and hitting Konan.

"Agh!" Konan cried out, jumping back as she wiped the blood off her face. Pain suddenly appeared in front of her and blasted some sort of energy, causing Miu to lose her balance. She flipped in the air and landed on the ground gracefully, pulling out more weapons just in case. Konan chuckled and put a hand on Pain's shoulder, stopping him.

"She's good Pain; even has the Scorch Element." She commented, walking back over into the shadows of the cave. Miu deactivated her curse mark and appeared next to Orochimaru, standing protectively in front of him. Pain turned around and smiled, clapping.

"On second thought, maybe she _is _a good recruit after all." Miu turned to her teacher to see him grin at her, that victorious look in his eyes.

"What is her name?" Konan asked, suddenly appearing next to him. Miu turned to her and gave her a sly smirk, crossing her arms.

"Miu," The blue haired ninja closed her eyes and nodded, approving. She tapped Kakazu's hand and he let go of Orochimaru, having him stand up. Konan met his eyes and nodded.

"You've taught your student well."

Miu stood beside her teacher as they both walked up to Pain-who seemed to be the leader around here. He observed her for a minute, scrutinizing her with his strange colored eyes. Konan handed Orochimaru a cloak and met Miu's eyes.

"Orochimaru, Miu, welcome….to the Akatsuki."

* * *

><p>Sorry for the really long wait! I've been real busy with school and I haven't had much time to type anymore...but I'll be attempting to update each story I have up (that aren't completed yet, including my Tsubasa one) and hopefully have them...by the end of December? Or January? One of those two months...maybe...well I hoped you liked this chapter! Things are getting even juicer than before huh? Starting to like the plot? Well then, there'll be more to come! Please leave a review on your way out before you click the red x box in the corner! Those are very VERY appreciated!<p>

FallenWing21


	9. Chapter 8: Clueless

Chapter 8: Clueless

He climbed into the booth of a closely related Ichiraku's restaurant and sighed softly, leaning his chicken haired head against the wall. The sun had fallen and now the moon was starting to rise, letting the creatures of the night begin to wake. A waitress came over to his table, asking if he needed anything. Shaking his head, he watched her walk off to another customer, scribbling down their orders. Sasuke put his hand behind his neck as he stared at the whirring fan above, mind wandering elsewhere. The scene when he and Sakura talked came back, how he concealed his emotions from her, something he knew that she would never be able to do as well as he could. Sure she could mask her emotions during a fight, but not as well as him. For years he built a wall of no emotion and the result of that was becoming a bit antisocial.

The waitress came back and finally, he decided to order something. Taking the order of beef noodles, the girl walked towards the kitchen. Sasuke looked around the restaurant and felt a pair of eyes watching him. As his onyx eyes locked on one spot, they narrowed in suspicion until a shinobi with revealing pale abs stepped out. Sai gave him a sincere smile as he came over, his uniform ever shocking the customers (mostly girls today) and making them swoon. Sitting across from Sasuke, Sai order a cup of tea and placed his elbows on the table.

"Hello Sasuke," he greeted sweetly, his eyes closed.

"Hm," the Uchiha uttered, looking bored as always. "Why are you here?" Sai merely chuckled and leaned back in the booth.

"Sakura-san kicked us out of the hospital so she could work on healing Haru's injuries. I split up with Naruto-kun and ran in here." Sasuke rolled his eyes and scowled, truly a pro at masking his emotions.

"I didn't need that much of an explanation," The ANBU grinned and tilted his head to the side.

"Well you got one." he replied just as he waitress came back with his tea and Sasuke's orders. Taking a sip, Sai glanced around as Sasuke pulled his bowl over to him, breaking the chopsticks. Moments of silence passed as both of them went into their order. By the time Sasuke finished, Sai was relaxing in his seat with a smug smile.

"Look who's coming in," With a slight avert of his eyes, he spotted the black and orange uniform. He had his back turned to him as he chatted with someone outside, his voice startling everyone in the room. The blonde whirled around and grinned as he neared their table.

"Yo Sasuke!" Lashing out, Sasuke whacked him in the arm as he moved seats to sit next to Sai instead.

"Oi! Why'd you hit me?" Naruto hollered as he flopped down into the booth, huffing. Scowling, the Uchiha crossed his arms in a bored way.

"You're too loud," He replied as he narrowed his eyes. Sai rolled his eyes and moved closer to the wall, putting his back to it.

"Well, I'm just curious to know why Sakura wouldn't let me help her," Naruto mumbled as he made a move to stand up.

"Go there yourself and ask her then," Sasuke replied coldly, seeing if his best friend would counter. He was surprised to see a discouraged look in his eye as he walked out of the restaurant, hands stuffed in his pockets. Sai and him exchanged glances as they heard their friend's footsteps recede into the night and crawled out of the booth.

"I wonder what's up with him?" Sai wondered out loud,

"C'mon," The Uchiha moved forward steadily as he trailed behind Naruto. They weaved in and out of he crowd, keeping sight of the bright blonde hair as they continued to make their way back to the hospital. Sai stayed behind Sasuke quietly as he observed the village they were in; lively folk chatting up storms as they sold their produce, laughing, drinking, nothing like the life they shinobi have. Rhese people were just normal villagers.

"Agh! Move it!" Outbursts of anger resounded from the people as two built guys shoved through the crowd, looking banged up and dirty as they carried a small sack. One of them wore a mask while the other kept a look out from behind. The pair then turned a corner and disappeared from sight, into an alleyway. Sai stared back at the spot they vanished and narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he moved along with Sasuke. The hospital was now in their field of view, but it looks as though something were wrong; the structure of the building shimmered, as if there was a screen in the front to hide what it truly looked like from behind. Sasuke caught up with Naruto and Sai jogged over to meet them. They all gazed at the shining building when a gray blur appeared in front of the trio.

"Sensei?" Naruto inquired as the jounin stood to his feet. His uniform was covered with dust and tears, it looked as though he had just come out of an arena. Kakashi, took a breath and met their gazes.

"The hospital was attacked." The three of them jolted in surprise at the sudden news, staring at their teacher in disbelief.

"Did anything happen?" Sai asked as they made their way back to the shimmering building. Kakashi sighed and put a hand to the back of his head.

"You'll have to see for yourselves."

The group had stopped in front of the steps to the hospital and as soon as Kakashi stepped through the doors, the entire inside, changed the view of what they expected; windows broken, the lights flickering quickly, and the patients and nurses, sobbing quietly. Sasuke blinked as he activated his Sharingan, checking for strong chakra's still inside.

"There's no need for that Sasuke," Kakashi attentively said as they opened the door to flights of destroyed wooden stairs. "Let's go."

With that, the four jounin leaped up, landing on the stable rails to get higher. After rising up for about a minute, the silver haired man opened the door to their floor and flew in. With the others following right behind him, he led the way through the dust and smoke, careful not to step on any weak floorboards. They had come to a stop near Haru's door when the sound of glass crashing came from inside. They all exchanged glances and crowded near the door. It was pitch black inside, but also almost bright enough to detect something move. Kakashi placed a hand on the door and pulled it open, meeting a rush of wind head on.

_Clueless_

The lights of the hostpital room dangled from its wires, threatening to crash down on the bed. It was entirely dark on the inside, the wind from the broken window coming in to break the silence. Anko watched the two unconscious girls' chests slowly rise up and down. Giving her a sign of them still alive. Images of what happened only an hour before flashed through her mind, when the door was pulled open.

Her arms instantly shot up at the sudden flash of light, and lowered them slowly to see her team come in with shocked looks on their faces. Naruto, Sasuke and Sai wandered over to their unconscious pink haired teammate, as Kakashi took a look at Chihiro.

"How are they?" He asked quietly, meeting her eyes. They still had that look of distress in them. After all, she did hold off members of the Akatsuki for a little while.

"Chihiro woke up a couple times, but other than that, they're still in pretty bad shape." The Jounin rasped as she held her side from a gash. As if right on cue, a pained groan came from the silver haired ninja as she sat up, wincing.

"Ugh," She grumbled, holding her head between her hands. Kakashi put a hand to her shoulder, calming her for a second. The silver haired girl took a wary glance over at her friend, seeing her wrecked up state. A worried sigh escaped between her lips as she looked up at the ceiling to prevent the tears from falling.

"I tried so hard," She whispered, bringing the palm of her hand to her face, slowly wiping away the tears. She leaned against the bed and took her hand in hers, feeling its icy coldness. "But they still reached her somehow. I'm thankful that you made it in time." Chihiro met Kakashi's eyes, truly grateful. He nodded in reply, switching his gaze back to his student.

"When did this happen?" Naruto said for the first time. All eyes met his as he looked over at Anko and Chihiro. They both looked too torn to respond to the question, the memory of it flying back. However Chihiro breathed out and shook her head vigorously.

"About an hour or two after you all left. Sakura came back and was on her way to fully healing Haru's fatal wounds, but as she was about to finish up, they came. Anko stood on guard inside the room, and I on the outside, however, they just...appeared. Out of nowhere. It was horrible. The sudden presence of all those chakras weighing down on us was so large. When I rushed in, Anko was already in front of Sakura and Haru, defending them as much as she could. Already, from about a minute in battle, she was covered with tears and cuts from the amount of attacks delivered towards her. I fought beside her, defending Sakura's and Haru's life as much as I could." Kakashi was about to say something, when Sasuke put his hand up suddenly.

There was a small height in her breathing as Sakura's eyes snapped open. Her emerald eyes darted around the room when she bolted upright, startling everyone in the room. Chihiro still had a tight grip on her hand as Sakura tried to comprehend what was happening. She spotted the shattered glass, the messed up lights, and Anko and Chihiro's conditions. She gave out a shaky sigh and clenched her fists angrily.

"Sakura-chan! Are you alright?" Naruto softly called, being cautious of the situation at the moment. She met his blue eyes, followed by Sasuke's, Sai's and then Kakashi's. They were all waiting for an answer. Even herself. She didn't know. Was she? Her friends had just thrown their lives in front of her, just to protect her. It seemed just like the old times. Perhaps this one was an exception. She was angry at herself for not being able to react quick enough, to save her friends from receiving most of the damage.

"Dammit, of course I'm not." She whispered harshly, not meeting his eyes. This just made her tighten the grip on the hem of her skirt she didn't know she was holding. There was a moment of silence, one that seemed to go on forever. That is until Anko interrupted.

"Well, you should at least heal yourself. We can deal with all this later. What matters most are your teammates' conditions." Then with that, the Jounin stood up, still with her side bleeding, and walked out of the room, her face expressionless. Kakashi let out an awkward cough and stood up as well.

"I'll go check on Haru," he said as he made his way out. Which of course was just an excuse. The five teenagers just stared at the ground until Sakura took a chance to act. She stood up, taking Chihiro hand with her.

"Here, sit and I'll heal you up quick." She kindly said before leaving her to go to the bathroom. On her way there, she met Sasuke's agonizing stare, expecting to see that ignorant look in his eye. Instead once more, she saw another emotion she didn't recognize. Naruto made his way next to Chihiro and smiled kindly at her.

"Don't worry! Sakura will fix you up in no time!" He guaranteed cheerfully, that familiar grin on his face. Chihiro weakly smiled and lowered her head, her hair blocking the expression in her eyes.

"You guys are lucky to have her as your friend. She cares a lot about you both." She said in a low voice, making sure the kunoichi didn't hear. Sasuke had also sat on the bed by the time she said this.

"We already know." Sasuke replied softly, surprising Naruto especially. He looked behind Chihiro to glance at him, seeing his onyx eyes clouded with emotion. Chihiro let out a small laugh, filled with relief, sighing at the end.

"A lot has happened since you left. I'm guessing you're both curious as to what happened?" The two Jounins' ears perked up as Chihiro began her story.

_Clueless_

Sakura bit back a sob as she stared at herself in the mirror. She had wanted to check on her curse mark, to see if anything had happened. Oh, was she right. The flames from the mark had spread across her entire shoulder and arm, engulfing them in the black marks. Soon if would cover her other side. Who knows what would happen then. She wasn't even controlling it and it was acting of its own will. She attempted to place a seal on it, but it just rejected it and burned her hand. Sighing, she slipped her shirt back on and flushed the toilet, washing her hands.

She ran her hand through her soft hair and adjusted her headband, closing her eyes for a second. In the silence she could hear Chihiro speaking softly of a long memory hidden in the back of her mind. Even from a few words that she heard, she knew what she was talking about. What had exactly happened when Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi had left. Pressing her lips together, pieces of the memory came through her mind, showing her images of Haru and Chihiro, grinning and laughing alongside her as they ate at Ichiraku's.

Sakura pushed open the door and came out quietly, stopping her friend's conversation incidentally. Chihiro looked sheepishly at her as her cheeks reddened slightly. Sasuke glanced to the side, a smirk played on his face. Naruto was just awkwardly fiddling with his fingers, afraid to say something. The pink haired kunoichi sighed and put a hand behind her neck.

"You guys, relax would ya? Why don't I treat you guys out later on or something huh?" She cheerfully suggested, looking at all of them in the eye. Chihiro grinned and nodded, agreeing.

"Yeah, that would be nice." She replied softly as the two teammates stood up. As they passed their friend, she placed her hands on their each of their shoulders, stopping them for a moment. She gave them a look, one that meant to wait outside. Then in another second, she released them and walked up to Chihiro, getting ready for healing.

Once she heard the door shut, Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at her friend. "So you decided to tell them about it then?" She said, watching as Chihiro laughed embarrassedly.

"Y-yeah, I could tell that one of them was dying to know." Sakura rolled her eyes as she asked her to take her jacket off. She saw the deep cuts and bruises and noticed at how strong she could tolerate the pain. Beginning to heal, she focused all her energy to fixing up the wounds, concentrating hard.

"He should already have had some sort of clue." She muttered under her breath as she blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"I guess he's just as clueless as your friend?" Chihiro inquired, that twinkle in her eye. Sakura shook her head, closing her eyes for a second.

"No, that's not it. He's just oblivious about people's feelings and how they care for others. Especially his _own._"

_Clueless_

Sasuke leaned against the wall, his arms crossed as a hard thoughtful expression found itself on his face. Naruto was asleep on the bench, looking awfully comfortable on that hard piece of crap. He thought about what Chihiro had told him. Did she really forget him that easily? He shut his eyes as he tried to picture his pink haired friend, laughing and hanging out with that-that disgrace of a Jounin. Who the hell does he think he is, not jumping out to help protect her? Even if he _is _injured, he should take that pain like a man and not like the little idiot he scowled as those negative thoughts spiraled down into a hole in his head. Shaking his head, he cleared his mind and went back to what the silver haired girl had spoken to him.

_"She told me, that once you all had left, she had walked out in the streets alone, wondering-was this really the kind of life I had wished for? To us, from the moment we met Sakura, she looked like a complete mess. On the inside anyway. Her spirits were just so down and we could tell that her friends were doing everything they could to cheer her up. However, we could tell that nothing was really working. There was still that distant look in her eye that appeared once you all left. _

_When you had all returned, she had sent me a letter instantly, spilling all the feelings she held inside from the moment you entered the gates. She was happy overall, yet the feelings of anger, sadness, and wondering were buried under it. She had been cold towards all of you because of her emotions. Sakura didn't exactly know what to feel. Even now. Her chakra goes haywire when something mentioned of what happened before is said. She wanted to go with you guys, but she couldn't because of her own decision. Sasuke, you have to fix this. This is about you. It has _always _been about you. You're the only one to change her. Just understand what you feel inside."_

Is that true? Could he be the only reason why she's been acting like this? Not as open as she was back in those years ago? The Uchiha raked his hands through his black hair and sighed as he paced in front of the unconscious Naruto. His feelings. What were they? Did he really understand them fully? The only thing he felt inside of him was emptiness...what could he fill this void with?

* * *

><p>Oh geez...I know I'm freakin late...I am SO SORRY! It's just...I haven't had enough time to write anymore! *pulls up shield to cover face* Okay, okay I know you're all mad that I updated like...8 f-ing weeks ago, so you can hit me tomatoes...just...not hard okay? I know how you all feel, I'm mad too! High school is really getting my schedule filled up and I have to finish all my homework! With track meets, and orchestra practices, I'm trying to type as much as I can in my spare time. So, if you just give me like...a week or two, I'll try (Note the word try) to update my other stories.<p>

I hoped you liked the chapter! *sighs sadly* I feel really bad for making you all wait. I guess it's my fault. However, I'd still like to thank the people out there who are still sticking with this story, who may read this. Your views and comments have kept me writing.

LET'S KEEP THIS STORY GOIN! (hopefully)


	10. Chapter 9: Stirrings

Chapter 9: Stirrings

"...you're serious right?"

"Why the hell wouldn't I be?"

"Well...this isn't just something I can talk about...especially with a guy like you,"

Okay. That hurt.

With an irritated twitch of an eyebrow, Sasuke watched Anko silently as she ate another stick of dango, adding it to the stack of empty ones beside her. Ever since he thought about his feelings and how he may be the one who could save Sakura from this mess...he was a wreck. He never really thought about them before till now and honestly, he wondered why such emotions existed. Wasn't a frown, scowl, and a smirk good enough?

"Alright! Geez, just stop with that stare!" Anko gave in, giving the Uchiha a sidelong glance. With a smirk, he calmly sipped his tea and took a look outside of the teashop hey were in. It was just them two today; the others went to go get some supplies for the trip back to Konoha. Sasuke only had a matter of hours to figure out what he was feeling right now.

"Okay, so what do I do?" He snapped a bit hurriedly, resulting in Anko rolling her eyes.

"Well...do you really like her?"

"That's what we're trying to find out!"

"I know just hold on a sec!"

With an annoyed huff, Sasuke waited as Anko took another bite of her dango, grinning.

"Okay, well firstly, how long have you known Sakura?" Sasuke's eyebrow twitched as he looked at the Jounin seriously. She stared innocently back, a small smile on her face.

"Practically my entire life."

"Okay, and have you ever done anything for her?"

Oh boy. Of course he had. He had risked his life for her so many times that he had lost count.

"Other than risking your life for her."

"...no,"

"Well then in order for you to get her attention, think of something! I'm not going to be the one who's gonna explain your own feelings out to you. Figure them out yourself!"

Sasuke stared wide eyed at the Jounin as she stood up and deserted him at the table, leaving a handful of money on the table. He slumped down in his seat and actually thought about it.

The times when Sakura used to follow him around like a dog were long gone for it seemed as though she didn't need him anymore. Or anyone else. He furrowed his eyebrows as he stared intently at the cup of tea in front of him. He realized that back in those years when they had left her behind, he noticed that Kakashi looked a bit guilty. Even as they had left, he had that guilty look on his face; it showed clearly in his silver eye.

Blinking in realization, Sasuke stiffened in his seat. He wanted Sakura to come. If he wanted her to come, then why didn't he let her?

The Uchiha stood up and left his money on the table, leaving the tea shop silently. As he walked in the streets with his hands stuffed down his pockets, he gazed at the shops nearby and spotted an eye catching poster.

"Welcome to the annual fireworks show! We hold this show on every 25th of May so please join us! There'll be lots of food, shopping booths and much more! So please buy your tickets now and join us!"

Sasuke stared at the poster for a long period of time, seeing the little drawn near the bottom having a good time. He scowled when he saw the price of the tickets and reached into his pocket to count his money when someone shoved him aside and ran off...taking his money with him. Realizing this, he scrambled to his feet and immediately took off running after the man that took his money.

"Oi! You bastard get back here!" He spat as he weaved in and out through the crowd. He could see the man's jacket flapping and reached out for it when a cart of fruits rammed into his side. Stumbling on his feet, he hit a wall and felt his side for a second before running off again after the man. He could still see his figure running and was about to tackle him down when someone beat him to it. Chihiro.

"Oi, that bastard took my money." He growled as he pointed down at the groveling man. He looked horrible. Face dirtied, clothes torn and all. Chihiro tied the robber's hands behind his back before lifting her head to meet his gaze, red earring swinging back and forth.

"Hm," With that she took a glance at the guy and smacked him hard on the head. Instantly he coughed up the pouch and refused to meet a furious Sasuke's eyes.

"I believe that a 'thank you' is implied?" Chihiro asked as she brought he man up to his feet. Meeting a silent Sasuke, she chuckled and patted his shoulder.

"Hey, its alright. I'll see you and the others later." Right when she was about to leave, Sasuke took hold of her wrist, which he realized was really skinny. Chihiro turned and gave him a curious glance.

"I was wondering...does Sakura like fireworks?" He asked in a low voice, a light blush covering his cheeks. The silver haired girl grinned as she caught on and nodded. As she walked off she turned around and waved.

"Good luck!" Sasuke scowled as she disappeared and made his way back to buying the tickets. All this just to figure whether these were "stirrings" or feelings.

xXx

"Hey, so when are we actually gonna do this thing?" Miu gave the silver haired man an amused smile and ran a hand through her lilac hair.

"Soon Hidan, in fact tomorrow." Hidan scrambled to his feet from his chair and approached the new recruit.

"Seriously? Finally! So what're we gonna do?" Hidan excitedly asked, sparks flying in his eyes. Miu stood up from the couch of the room and crossed her arms at him, giving him a look. He gave her a an irritated glare and scowled as she walked behind him.

"Be patient and go get Kakazu for me. I've got some planning to do before tomorrow." She silently retired to her room with a soft click of the door, leaving Hidan alone out in the living room, a silence filling in the presence of the one Miu had before.

With a frown, he made his way towards the fridge and grabbed a bowl of instant ramen, opening it up by the counter, disturbing the silence in the room. Within seconds, he was done and had hot water poured into the cup. Soon he was out the door with his cup of noodles, in his lame disguise, and sauntering into town to look for Kakazu.

Wandering through the crowd, he finished his noodles in a minute and dumped them in the trash as he scanned the people for his partner.

xXx

"Kakazu...where are you?" He muttered under his breath as he glared at the people who so curiously stared at him. Only when a hand prodded his shoulder did he snap out of his daze. Lifting his head, he saw his deeply disguised friend as a middle aged, carpenter who always held a serious gaze.

"What is it?" Kakazu growled, obviously annoyed that he was called. Hidan inwardly sighed and gave him a grin, excitement in his eyes.

"It's tomorrow! Finally, our mission can start." He explained as he made his way back to the apartment where Miu was. Kakazu silently followed next to him, acting as though Hidan was just someone he ran in to and knew.

"Good. I was starting to get bored. If I waited any longer, I might've just killed someone right then and there." Hidan chuckled lightly ay his partner and rolled his eyes as he opened the door to the apartment. Finding Miu standing in the middle of the room, she blinked as the two Akatsuki members strolled in, getting rid of their disguises.

"Good, you're here. Let's get down to business then." She greeted as she began to tell them the plan.

xXx

Sakura smiled brightly as Anko stepped into the shop of supplies. Anko grinned as she approached the group, a stick of dango in her hand. As always. Sakura looked back down at the bag of supplies she had and glanced over to see Kakashi and Naruto holding an armful of them as well. Everyone was going to have to pack. They were to leave in two days time. As the group made their way out, they walked through the streets, filled with energy and chatter as they talked about their day, leaving Sakura to mull about some things on her own.

When will the curse mark fully envelop her entire being? What will become of her once it takes over?

Concentrated deep in thought, she didn't notice a figure approaching the group with a group of fangirls scrambling behind. Sasuke scowled as the group of villager girls swooned over his stoicness as he glared at them, his eyes practically burning. Naruto snickered as he stopped in front of them, tickets held in his hand.

"What do you have there Sasuke?" Kakashi asked curiously, his eye darting down to the tickets in his hand. Sasuke looked startled for a second at having to explain it, but then recomposed his expression into a stoic one, a blank look as he met his former teacher's eye.

"Tickets. To the firework show. Tomorrow." He replied shortly, handing each of them out to everyone. He paused for a second before handing one to Sakura, meeting her eyes seriously. To his surprise they were filled with happiness, no cheerfulness would be the better word. As she kept his stare, her eyes seemed to say _thank you_ to him silently.

"Thanks Sasuke!" Anko gleefully said as she looked at her ticket, a grin on her face. The only thing she recieved in return was a silent nod as the group made their way back to the hotel.

Sakura walked ahead as Sasuke stayed behind to walk beside Naruto, who seemed a bit over excited to watch the fireworks. He was practically jumping with anticipation. With a twitch of his eyebrow, Sasuke glared at his best friend, catching his attention.

"So, are you going to finally tell her?" Naruto teased as he elbowed his friend in the chest, a sly smirk on his face. Sasuke scowled and turned his head away from him, refusing to meet his eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know the _real _reason why you asked us to come. It's because you don't want to be alone when you realize your feelings." Sasuke moved his gaze to the ground as they walked, his neck beginning to feel hot.

"They're more like mere-"

"-feelings, Sasuke," Naruto interrupted, a sincere smile on his lips as Sasuke met his eyes. He was actually being serious about this.

"You seem to know a lot about this and yet _you _don't have a..." He trailed off as Naruto raised an eyebrow, completely catching on to what he meant.

"I do know a lot, but that's just because of Kiba, Shikamaru, and well ya know...everyone else." Naruto awkwardly explained as he rubbed the back of his neck. Sasuke gave him a blank stare as they entered their room, everyone going off into their seperate bedrooms. They had rented a suite and everyone had their own room. Surprising actually, at how big the place actually was.

"Well, I'll leave you to sort everything out." Naruto said as he retired to his own room, closing the door with a soft click. Sasuke sat down on his bed, thoughts jumbled inside his own head. Closing his eyes, he breathed slowly and began to meditate on his thoughts. Mainly about everything that has happened.

What would happen to Sakura once the curse mark finally took over? He knew for a fact that they had to protect her no matter the cost. Everyone knew that Konoha _couldn't _lose one of the best healers in their village. Even Tsunade-sama.

_Knock. Knock._

His eyes shot open and he realized that he was staring up at the ceiling. Since when did he lie down? Turning his head to the side, and too lazy to get up, he cleared his throat.

"Its open." He growled, noticing his voice low. The doorknob pulled to the side and pushed open, revealing a surprised looking Sakura to step in. Instantly, Sasuke was up in a flash and watched as she stepped in, an uncomfortable silence settling in.

"I just wanted to say thank you for inviting all of us to the firework show tomorrow." She softly said, a small smile on her face.

Oh, so it was just that.

"Anything else?" Sasuke snapped, giving the girl an irritated glare. She winced slightly under his gaze, shutting her eyes for a second before meeting his own again.

"Can't you at least be a _little _more, I dunno, _compassionate _sometimes? I mean, I know you're an emotionless guy, but at least show something other than plain _boredom _and _irritation_!" Sakura suddenly spat out, her emerald eyes flashing in anger. She had her hands curled up in fists as she stood on a few feet away from him, and his..._almost _shirtless...ness.

He noticed that with the dark color she was wearing, it brought out her pink hair, which would make her stand out if she were hiding. To him, her hair color just seemed too...loud and obnoxious. But then again, why hadn't he said anything about it? Ever since the time she cut her hair back in the Chunin exams, he took no notice of her hair, till now.

Only faced with silence, Sakura let out an exasperated huff and relaxed her posture, raking her hands through her hair as she sat down on his floor. With a deep sigh, she propped her elbow against her knee and stared down at the floor, her chakra draining from her slowly because of the curse mark. Sasuke, silently noticing this, smoothly slid off his bed and sat down on the floor with her, his back leaning against the bed. Sakura lifted her head up slightly to meet his onyx eyes, but then ducked her head again. In this silence, Sasuke wanted to somehow apologize for snapping at her, but he just wasn't the type of guy to do that. Not in a million years. Unless brutally..._brutally _forced. However...

"...sorry," He muttered under his breath, hoping to gain at least some sort of reaction from the teenage girl.

"S'alright," She replied from her position, her hand slowly clenching into a fist. She was almost at her limit before she passed out. To think that the curse mark took this much chakra astonished her. Right now her head felt it was going to split. There was another awkward silence when she heard rustling and stiffened when a hand suddenly covered her own. To her surprise it was really warm. Lifting her head, she saw Sasuke leaning over with his hair blocking his eyes.

"You alright?" He softly asked, his voice concerned.

"Y-yes," She replied weakly, her voice cracking, revealing her position. Another moment of silence, and another heartbeat. There was yet _another _rustle and the hand that warmed hers left.

"Come here," Was what startled her from her thoughts. Snapping her head up, she saw Sasuke with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, have his arms outstretched wide as if to welcome her into a...hug.

What?

* * *

><p>Ah I missed writing for this fandom! But now I'm back! I hoped you liked this chapter! Things are about to get exciting in the next one now that Miu's coming back into the story! Sorry for the really long wait guys! Oh yeah and I got the word "stirrings" from PoTC 4! I love that scene! So funny! Anyway, all that credit goes to that movie and its awesomeness!<p>

**Revised: 7/20/13**

Honestly, I had no idea what was going through my head when I wrote that scene with Miu and her accident. I don't even know. So if you thought there was gonna be some romance inside the Akatsuki, don't. Sorry. I really don't know what I was thinking. It's only a SasaSaku fic. So. Yeah.


	11. Chapter 10: Serve

**So I guess this story will keep going~! I'm sorry if made you all worry but I'm going to make sure that I update this one first every time. It'll be my top priority kay? I hope you guys like this chapter!**

**On to the story!**

xXx

Chapter 10: Serve

W-wait, what did he just say? Sakura blinked repeatedly at the person in front of her, shocked at how completely impossible this was. Him holding a blanket out to her?

"Y-you're joking right?" She asked with an amused grin on her face. Despite her lack of chakra, at least she was still able to smile. Sasuke's blank features changed into a scowl as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I'm not doing that again. Ever." He muttered to himself, refusing to meet her bright eyes. Sakura chuckled and stood up when she felt a piercing pain in the side of her head. Her knees buckled underneath her as she clutched her head in between her hands.

Surprisingly as she went down, strong arms caught her. Her head bumped against something soft and she lifted her head to see Sasuke's chin right next to her head. She felt his hands holding her sides gently as she leaned over him. Oh geez.

"You alright?" He asked in her ear, his voice low. Sakura nodded and she straightened up and met Sasuke's eyes. They were filled with complete concern for her.

"Maybe you should get some rest." He added, an unsure look in his onyx eyes. His teammate nodded and stood up quietly and made her way out the door, clicking the door shut.

As soon as Sasuke heard her go into her own room he released the breath he was holding and ran a hand through his hair. His heart was beating so fast it hurt to breath. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head against the bed and tried to calm his heart down.

This sure was different.

In all his life, with girls constantly falling for him and him just ignoring them, he had never felt this way about anyone. But to him it seemed as though she didn't feel anything for him anymore. But he did for her.

"God, Sakura, you've changed me." He whispered to himself as a small smile creeped on to his face.

It was official. He liked her.

But of course, he'd never admit it to her.

xXx

**About 30 minutes before the fireworks starts**

"Yah Sakura! Hurry or Sasuke's gonna go dateless!" Anko called to the new Jounin from outside the dressing rooms. Sakura groaned and pulled the curtain open a little bit, poking her head out. She gave the Special Jounin a hard glare and closed the curtain.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, heat rising to her face. Anko chuckled from outside as she placed a toothpick in her mouth.

"What I'm saying is that Sasuke bought these tickets so that he could go on a date with you!" Sakura froze as she was about to tie her kimono on.

"W-what? You're kidding!" She said with a nervous laugh as she twirled in front of mirror, a grin on her face. Wait, she was grinning?

"Nope. I'm a hundred percent sure."

Sakura looked at herself in the mirror and saw a pretty green eyed kunoichi. Was this really the Sakura from 3 years ago? The one who had an insane infatuation with Sasuke?

She clenched her fists and glared in the mirror, her emerald eyes flashing. She didn't like Sasuke back. She had gotten over him. She was positive she had. And there was no going back on her vow.

"Oh yeah, just be careful to tonight. Be aware of your curse mark got it?" Anko warned as Sakura came out with the kimono.

"Mm, I got it." She paid for the kimono and stepped out of the store with Anko beside her.

"Now, here's a question for you," Sakura turned to see Anko grinning.

"What is it?"

"Do you like Sasuke?" Sakura spluttered as she gave her an incredulous look, her eyes wide.

"No, of course not!"

"Your reaction proves otherwise." Sakura for the first time in a while felt a blush coming up.

"I threw out my heart for him a while ago." She murmured, her eyes moving back to the past.

"To me it seems as though this is the first time he's recognized it; his own feelings." Anko replied as she met Sakura's darkened eyes. The pink haired kunoichi kept quiet as they headed back over to the hotel to meet everyone. Her only thoughts were: SHE DIDN'T LIKE HIM. SHE. DOES. NOT.

Sakura stayed down in the lobby and pulled her hair into a bun in the mirror there, her eyes focused on her hair when she spotted a couple of cocky looking guys come in, a look of victory in their eyes as they approached her. From the mirror, Sakura met their eyes with a cold glare but that didn't stop them from stopping in front of her.

"Hey little lady, where ya headin?" The guy in the front asked, a sly grin on his face as he eyed her up and down. Sakura narrowed her eyes in disgust and brushed them off as she passed. A hand clamped hard on her wrist and she stopped, head turning slightly to meet their gazes.

"Hey! I wasn't finished," He snapped, a cold demeanor wavering around him. Sakura gave him a sarcastic smile and ripped her wrist from his grip, surprising the lot of them.

"Then please do," She replied sweetly before wiping her smile off into a scowl. The man was about to retort when his eyes went past her. Sakura saw him as well, in the mirror of course.

Sasuke came down from the last flight of stairs coolly and was approaching them with a deadly stare. His outfit was completely dark, but the red decals on the back suited the theme. Sakura glanced his way as he halted next to her, his hands in his pockets.

"W-what're you? Her boyfriend?" The sly guy asked as he smirked, his hand reaching for Sakura. Sasuke was in front of her within a second, his eyes cold as he glared at the lot of them.

"Try that again." He growled as his faded to the infamous Sharingan. The guys gasped at his sudden action and stuttered a 'sorry', walking away. Sasuke stood there for a second before turning around and meeting Sakura's eyes before walking off to sit down.

Sakura joined him and sat from across him, eyeing him quizzically. Sasuke looked like he was going to say something but shut his mouth when the others came down.

"Let's have fun guys!" Naruto cheerfully said as he pumped his fist in the air.

"Mm!" Sakura replied as she stood up. With that, everyone headed out, making their way to the area where the fireworks would be displayed. They were about ten minutes away from starting and found a spot in the back, sitting on the ground. Kakashi and Anko sat to their own spot while Naruto and Sai decided to "spend some time together". Sakura and Sasuke sat next to each other not speaking.

What was there to say when one's heart was pounding madly, hoping that the other wouldn't hear it, and the other deciding whether or not they've really fallen again?

"Hey," Sakura turned her head to see Sasuke looking up at the sky, but his attention focused on her. "Your curse mark. Is it getting worse?" He asked as he eyed her shoulder curiously. His heart was pounding again and he had no control over it. Dammit.

"Mm, s'alright." Sakura replied as she looked up at the stars, her eyes shining. Sasuke watched as she gazed upward, wondering why he liked her. He clenched the hand that was against the grass and let out a sigh. How will this day turn out?

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked as she turned her head to the Uchiha.

"It's nothing." Sakura shrugged it off and looked back to the sky, smiling. Then everyone started cheering as the fireworks ascended, exploding into beautiful colors. Sakura's jaw dropped in admiration as many shapes came up, bursting into bright light. Sasuke turned his head to see Sakura's eyes lighting up as the fireworks did their stuff and realized exactly why he had fallen hard for her. He asked himself if there were any reasons and he couldn't think of any.

That's because there weren't.

"Hey look! It's our village!" Sakura excitedly said as she leaned over, pointing to the sky to show him where it was. The scent of her hair wafted around him, his stomach feeling queasy as he looked up into the sky as well. Sure enough, the Leaf Village symbol was bright in the sky, leaves surrounding it. The crowd was murmuring in excitement as new fireworks appeared but some people decided to stand up and go look at the kiosks near the event. Sasuke watched as the people surrounded a certain one and tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

"Do you want to go over there?" He asked as he put a hand on her shoulder. Sakura turned her head and saw what he was talking about. Nodding, she grinned and stood up suddenly, pulling him up with her. Walking over to the small shop, Sasuke looked around him to see his other teammates walking around the kiosks as well. They were all cautious. He glanced at Sakura and saw something bulky on the side of her leg and realized that it was her kunai pouch. Inwardly smirking, he admired how they were so relaxed yet could start fighting in a second.

"Sasuke look!" Sakura cheerfully said as she showed him a handcrafted kunai with a cherry blossom painted on the blade. "Isn't it nice?" She asked as she tilted her head to the side, meeting his eyes brightly. Sasuke flashed her a small smile and moved forward to reach over her. Sakura stiffened slightly as his head came close to hers, his hand grabbing the designed kunai from her own.

"H-hey!" Sasuke sent her a look and was walking towards the cashier.

"What, don't you want it?" He asked as he gave her a confused look. Sakura went over to his side and was about to grab it when he raised it above his head. The Uchiha felt warm inside when he saw her pout, crossing her arms.

"I do want it but-"

"So then I'll get it for you." Sasuke interrupted as he took out his money to hand to the old woman. Sakura's retort faltered as she hung back, a small smile on her face as she waited by the side, watching as people passed by, laughing and eating food. A hand tapped her shoulder and she turned to see Sasuke holding the cherry blossom kunai in his hand.

"Here," He said, handing it to her. Taking it, Sakura smiled wide as she gazed at it. She then placed it in her side pocket and looked up at him, eyes bright.

"Thank you," She softly replied as they started to walk. He nodded in return as they walked side by side in the streets, joining the crowd of people who seemed to take their time with a leisurely stroll. He planned in his head where to take her, where they could have a good time, and where they could talk comfortably.

"Hey guys!" Pausing, Sakura turned as Naruto dragged a relenting Sai over. Sai was trying to pull him back by his arm, an apologetic smile on his face to the two as he realized the situation.

"N-Naruto, you can't go...over there!" Sai exclaimed as he yanked hard, however it seemed as though Naruto felt nothing as he charged forward, leaving Sai in the crowd of people panting, all his efforts wasted.

"Those fireworks were amazing don't you think?" Naruto said as he put his hands behind his head, now walking with the pair. Sakura gave him an amused smile and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Mm it was. Did you eat yet?" She asked, catching Sasuke off guard. He looked over at her, startled when she met his eyes, giving him an apologizing smile. Blinking, he nodded in silence as Naruto replied. Looks like his plans were ruined.

"Yeah actually we did! Sai took me to this really yummy place! Oh yeah, where is Sai anyway?" He asked as he searched for his supposive "date". A hand clamped on to the scruff of his outfit and pulled him back. Sai's head appeared next to him with a fake smile, causing Naruto to yelp in astonishment.

"Naruto, Kakashi would like to talk to you." He said as he dragged him away without another word. Sakura and Sasuke stood there for a moment, wondering what had just happened when the pink haired kunoichi suddenly turned to him, surprising him.

"Hey, we should find someplace to eat." Sasuke nodded and thought in his mind where to eat when Sakura already had a place in mind. Absently, she looped her arm through his and dragged him over to a small snack restaurant. Sasuke's face heated up as they entered, relieved that it was slightly dimmed with the lanterns, knowing no one would be able to see his pink face. The two sat down near the window and watched as an entertainer attracted tons of people in front of the restaurant.

The waitress came over and handed us some menus, leaving us for some time to think. Sakura bit her lip as she looked over the selections, indecisive because everything looked so good. Choosing the one that she liked the most, she put down her menu and eyed Sasuke who was still choosing his intently. Moments after choosing his, he set down his menu as well and looked up to see Sakura staring at him.

"What is it?" He asked as he put an arm against the table.

"I was just wondering...back then, when we were still Genins, did you ever..." She trailed off as she realized she couldn't say it. Hiding her face in her hands, she realized that her heart was beating oddly fast. _Did you ever like me back then? Was it just because you had to protect me? _

"Did I ever...?" Sasuke urged on as he leaned forward, an amused look in his eye. Sakura peeked through her fingers and saw him looking at her. It was as if her days from being that girl who blushed super hard came back to life and took over her body. Her cheeks turned a light pink and she sat straight in her seat, her eyes cast down. Sasuke smirked at her action and noticed how funny it was that she reacted like that. Especially at a simple question.

"Nevermind," Sakura replied softly as she fiddled with her hands, hating every second of why she was reacting like this. The waitress came back with our orders and said she would come back if they needed anything. Eating in silence for a few minutes, Sasuke thought in his head of what to say when there was a crash outside. Sakura looked up from her food, her blushing face gone, and exchanged glances with Sasuke.

"What was that?" She asked as she was about to go back to eating. Sasuke set his chopsticks down and calmly took a sip of his water, at the same time taking a glance outside. The entertainer who had attracted tons of people was now lying on the ground, the crowd of people now circling him in concern. Suddenly someone screamed, causing Sakura to jump in her seat, dropping her chopsticks. Sasuke continued to observe outside, seeing another crowd of people surrounding another person.

What was happening?

"Should we go see?" Sakura asked as she stood up her chair scooting back. Sasuke put his hand out to stop her and ended up putting his hand on top of hers accidentally. She froze and blinked in confusion.

"No, wait." He suddenly said as he narrowed his eyes. There was someone who was coming through the crowd and this person looked really familiar to him...The crowd parted and he spotted the lilac hair under the hat she was wearing. He widened his eyes and stood up taking Sakura's hand and dragging her away from the window.

"W-what're you doing?" She asked as Sasuke looked for a way out, somewhere in the back. He activated his Sharingan and searched, his blood pumping from the adrenaline.

"We need to find a way out of here, without being spotted." He replied as he realized that the front door was the only way out. Deactivating his Sharingan, he sighed and looked at Sakura who was very confused.

"She's here. Miu," Sakura widened her eyes as she recollected what had happened the last time she had met her. "We have to find the others." Sasuke said as he slowly led her out the front door, his eyes lowered as they snuck past the girl who was checking on the entertainer. What they didn't realize was that she knew they found out. And now they were falling straight into her trap.

xXx

Naruto and Sai fell down on each other, chakra fully sucked out of them. Blood trickled down the side of Sai's head as he gasped for air, holding his stomach in pain. The man in front of him...was a monster. With his black and white skin, he had stabbed himself in the stomach with his own scythe. He was an Akatsuki member and had managed to scratch him. He had dodged the attacks just like Sakura had told him to just in case they were to run into him, but that didn't stop Sai from getting a tiny little cut, activatin ghte curse.

Hidan grinned as he shoved the scythe further into his stomach, the tip coming out of the other side. Sai widened his eyes as fire filled his belly, lowering his head he coughed up blood and panted as his vision swam in front of his eyes. A hand gripped his shoulder and he turned his head to see Naruto look at him with worried eyes.

"Don't lose consciousness Sai! Don't let it take you!" He exclaimed as he struggled to stand up, clutching his side in pain. Hidan glared over at the blonde haired teen and pulled his scythe, the sound of flesh ripping echoing. Sai froze in pain and fell face down on the floor, his breath hitching.

"Shut up kid, we're not gonna kill him. We only want the girl." Hidan said before swiping his blade across Naruto's face. Naruto caught it in his hand before it came in contact and furrowed his eyebrows together.

"You want Sakura? Why?" He demanded as he stood up, the pain he felt earlier gone. Hidan paused for a second and blinked before grinning.

"She's Miu's experiment that's why. She wants to finally make the curse mark awaken. Oh crap, I shouldn't be telling you this." He said as he bit his lip, a look of worry in his eye. He met Naruto's burning eyes and whacked the scythe across his face-for real, and knocked him unconsicous. Grinning, he deactivated his curse and flipped the scythe in his hands. He spotted the still conscious Sai and walked over to his side, pressing down on his back with the heel of his foot. Sai lifted his head and coughed, blood trickling down the side of his chin as he struggled to breathe.

"You won't see Sakura again, starting...now." And with that, Hidan knocked Sai unconscious by kicking him in the head, and stepped in front of the two of them, smiling. Then he used his jutsu to change into his disguise and stepped out of the basement they were in, climbing up the stairs and exiting out of the abandoned store.

xXx

"Sasuke, Sakura!" Kakashi called out, his one good eye searching for his former students. He had spotted Miu and were now away from her so she wouldn't find them. Anko was helping him out, dashing around in hopes of seeing their pink haired girl but couldn't see anyone. She looked up into the sky and noticed that the sky was suddenly brightening up. She stared and tried to find the source when she stiffened. The moon.

"No," She whispered as the priority to find Sakura grew even bigger.

"What is it Anko?" Kakashi asked as he approached her, his eye still searching for Sakura.

"The moon. The full moon is out. Her curse mark will _only _activate when there's a full moon. And once it's activated, it can't be sealed." Anko gravely said, her eyes darkened. Kakashi closed his eyes for a second, his thoughts on finding his student and opened them, breathing out.

"We have to find her." He stated before dashing off. Anko immediately followed after him, a solemn look on her face.

xXx

They were running now.

It had turned from a silent dash, to fast, sprinting footsteps. Sakura and Sasuke went through the streets in hopes of losing whoever was behind them, but their chakra presence was strong. Too strong to be from a civilian, and way to powerful to be from an average ninja. It had to be a Jounin, or someone higher than that. The two turned the corner and climbed up the walls, hanging on to the edge as they waited for the person to pass. Once they did, Sakura let out the breath she was holding and gasped, leaning her head against the wall.

"What do we do?" She asked breathlessly as she turned to look at Sasuke who was trying to catch his breath.

"We have to try fighting until Kakashi and the others find us. I'm sure Anko and him are searching for you now." He replied, his eyes unsure of what he had just said.

"Okay, that's good," She softly said, looking up at the sky. She spotted the full moon and sensed something ominous about it. The rays of the moon touched her face and it suddenly felt as if her shoulder was on fire. Widened her eyes, she let go of the wall, and fell. Sasuke instantly caught her and landed on the ground, heart pumping.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, his voice laced with worry. Sakura shoved him off of her and backed up towards a wall, gasping. Her eyes darted around as flashes of red appeared in front of her. Her shoulder throbbed with fiery pain and became more unbearable as the moonlight's rays shined down upon her. Sakura fell to her knees, clutching her shoulder, eyes squeezed shut in pain when she sensed someone coming. Opening her eyes, she saw a figure standing on top of the roof above us.

"Sask-" Her whisper was cut off when the figure suddenly disappeared and appeared behind Sasuke, a fist coming down on him. Sasuke drew his arm back and blocked the punch, whirling around to give the person a kick in the gut. That person caught his foot easily and smirked, throwing him across the street. As soon as the Uchiha found solid ground, he appeared behind the attacker and drew out his katana, instantly lighting it up with his Chidori. He aimed it straight for the heart when the figure disappeared.

Only a heartbeat later, something sharp stabbed his shoulder and he reacted by pushing his katana behind him, managing to land a hit on the person. Then as he turned around, a hand jabbed straight into his stomach and came out the other side, pulling it back out instantly, sending a spew of blood across the ground. With his face strained with pain, he stopped fighting and dashed over to Sakura, leaning over her protectively.

"You won't touch her." He growled, spitting the blood from his mouth to the side.

Sakura tried to breathe but it felt as though the fore had spread throughout her entire being and was preventing her from breathing. All she could do was gasp for air as the air around her rose. Just what the hell was going on?

Suddenly? She felt the curse mark's flames move across her face and reach the other side of her shoulder. She met Sasuke's eyes and saw them widen in surprise.

"No, Sakura don't lose control." He said in a low voice, his onyx eyes searching her. All Sakura could see now was the faint outline of Sasuke's face; her vision was fading.

"Don't leave me," She whispered, handing him the cherry blossom kunai before her eyes rolled to the back of her head, unconscious. Sasuke inaudibly gasped as he leaned forward, his eyes darting between her two closed ones. He clenched the cherry blossom kunai in his hand in anger when he sensed her presence.

"Now that she's in the midst of Changing, I'll take her." Sasuke turned his head to see Miu approach him with a smile. He stood up with Sakura in his arms and stepped away from her when he sensed a person behind him.

Glancing behind him, he saw an average middle aged man standing with a red scythe in his hand. A disguise.

Suddenly, something landed in front of Sasuke and exploded into smoke. A figure dashed down and took him by the arm, bringing him back up, away from the two attackers.

Anko looked at Sakura and put a hand to her head, frowning. Sasuke stiffened when another person came by; Kakashi.

"Is she-" Anko put a hand up, stopping his words as he approached them. She glanced around, her eyes searching for someone.

Suddenly, there was a bright explosion and Anko was thrown back off the building. Kakashi jumped away just in time and saw someone escape with Sakura in their arms.

"Sasuke!" He called out, hoping to see him turn.

"I'm on it!" He heard a reply as the Uchiha passed him, blood soaking his outfit. Kakashi looked down at Anko to see her get up to her feet.

"Naruto and Sai aren't here! I'll go look for them!"

"No, wait! They can handle themselves, we need you right now to help us get Sakura-" His words were cut off when a soul ripping scream hit the air. Kakashi and Anko turned their heads to the source, coming from the woods.

"Sakura," Anko whispered before dashing off in the direction of the voice. Kakashi followed instantly, the screams of their teammate getting louder.

xXx

The pain was indescribable. All Sakura could register was that it hurt so much. There was a high pitched ringing in her ear and she just wanted to go on a rampage because of the pain. But she couldn't because she was tied...to a tree.

Sakura forced herself to suck in the pain and opened her eyes slowly. Miu stood in front of her with a smile on her face.

"Your Changing is almost finished." She said, a bright smile on her face. Sakura panted as she glared in her face, eyes burning.

"What do you...mean?" She asked, her breaths starting to calm down.

"The curse mark I gave you takes control of your mind and lets me command it. I set it up exactly on this day so that it would activate on the full moon." Miu explained, a victorious smirk on her face.

"What do you plan to do with me?" Sakura asked as fire started to flow through her veins again.

"You'll see soon." Miu replied with a grin, putting a hand on her shoulder, sending a flare of pain throughout her entire body.

Biting her lip, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and literally felt her mind slip from her grasp.

_"You'll do as I command."_ Miu's voice echoed.

Sakura's mind stood ground and tried to take control when another wave of pain hit her, making it slip again.

_"There's no use fighting it."_

Suddenly, it felt as though her mind had no control over it; it felt like someone was grasping it with their own hands, tampering with it and making it bend under their will.

_"There, now you'll serve under me and the Akatsuki. You'll become a rogue and be hunted down by all your teammates. Including that chicken haired one. Now...open and awaken."_

Sakura slowly lifted her head and opened her eyes.

Red eyes glinted in the moonlight as they gazed upon their master. Miu grinned and played with a lock of Sakura's hair.

"Now the game begins,"

xXx

**First thing's first: I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS 1 MONTH UPDATE. I know I said you wouldn't be getting any more sorry's, but I guess this is the last one. Finally, all the puzzle pieces are coming together and Sakura joins the Akatsuki? Waht? :O **

**I hoped you liked this chapter!  
>Please kindly review!<strong>

**P.S  
>I know you all missed me right? haha. okay. I'll go now. *exits the room*<strong>

**-FallenWing21**


	12. Chapter 11: Control

Chapter 11: Control

**xXx**

Sakura stood behind Miu as they walked through the forest silently, the light of the moon shining down on the two of them. Miu gracefully walked over the roots of a tree and occasionally glanced back at her new experiment to see how she was doing. The pink haired kunoichi held a blank look on her face as she kept her gaze forward, her mind only able to operate with movement instructions and certain dialogue.

"Is there a problem?" Sakura asked as her red eyes locked on to Miu's. The Akatsuki member blinked at her for a moment before she glanced down at the kimono she was wearing.

"Yes, get rid of that horrid piece of clothing and put this on." Miu replied as she pulled out an extra Akatsuki cloak from inside her own and handed it to her. Sakura took it without complaint and buttoned it all the way.

"Oh, wait." The purple haired girl stopped for a second and grabbed Sakura's hentai from her head. She grabbed a kunai and drew a line through the Leaf Village's symbol.

"Hm, there," Miu said with a small smile. She turned to a tree and stabbed the hentai to it with the kunai and continued on. "No need for that anymore hm?" She asked as she glanced at Sakura. The mute girl simply gave a nod and followed after her.

Suddenly a figure dashed in front of them and landed only a few meters away in the clearing of the forest. Miu stepped back and drew her kunai, putting an arm in front of Sakura protectively. No one would take her new specimen. Not anymore.

Sasuke widened his eyes in shock as he saw Sakura standing behind Miu…wearing the Akatsuki cloak around her shoulders and in her Level 2 form. He clenched the cherry blossom kunai that was in his hand in anger and met Miu's amused gaze.

"What did you do? Why is _she _with _you_?" He bitterly spat, activating his Sharingan.

"Your dear little _Sakura _now belongs to me. So don't even try to take her _away _from me!" Miu snapped in return, activating her curse mark into Level 2. Sasuke fumed with rage as he activated his own, drawing his katana and lighting it with Chidori.

"You'll regret deciding to fight with me." Sasuke threatened in a low voice, his eyes ice cold. Miu smirked as she drew out a handful of kunai, a grin on her face.

"I'll enjoy killing you." She cheerfully said as she was poised to run. When Sasuke was just about to start, two figures appeared in front of him, both he recognized instantly with their gray spiky hair and tan long coat.

"Sasuke, stay back," Kakashi ordered as he drew his own kunai next to Anko. The former student of Orochimaru snarled as she saw Miu's face once more, instantly slipping her kunai out from under her sleeves.

"You again," She quietly said, her eyes blazing with anger. Miu grinned as she met her enemy's cold gaze.

"You don't want to finish this now do you? Because it would be a shame of you dying before your whole village does." Miu innocently said as she tilted her head to the side, tapping the kunai with her tongue. Kakashi narrowed his one eye suspiciously as he looked at her.

"You plan to destroy the village?" He asked, the more reason to retrieve Sakura rising. Miu smiled and nodded as she stepped back and grabbed Sakura's hand.

"Not yet though. But the next time you see us, Sakura here will be much different than you see her now. She'll be destroying Konoha herself." And with that, Miu hooked her arm around Sakura and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke gaped in shock as the girl he realized he liked had vanished before him. Kakashi stared at the ground as the news settled in.

"Did you place it?" Anko asked quietly as she placed her kunai away. Kakashi sighed and put his own away as well before meeting her eyes.

"I did, but there's no doubt that they'll find out. At least we'll know her location for a short time." Kakashi replied as he turned around to face Sasuke. He sheathed his katana and glared at the ground in anger.

"Hey, Sasuke, we'll find Sakura so don't worry too much okay?" Kakashi brightly said as he ruffled the guy's hair playfully before walking past him.

"C'mon, we gotta find Naruto and Sai." Anko said as she brushed past him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke brought the cherry blossom kunai to his face and looked at the beautifully painted design on the blade.

"I swear, I'll find you and bring you back." He whispered as he looked up into the sky with blood lust eyes.

**xXx**

Naruto grimaced as he slowly sat up, the side of his head crusted with blood. He glanced over to see Sai lying next to him unconscious with a large wound coming from his back. The blonde ninja widened his eyes in shock and kneeled next to his friend, turning him around gently.

"Sai," He said when he heard the teen moan in pain. His blood covered hand slowly went over to the stomach wound and touched it, instantly hissing. Sai's eyes snapped open and met Naruto's bright blue ones.

"Naruto," He quietly uttered as he slowly sat up, his eyes squeezed in pain.

"You alright?" Naruto asked as he stood up, wiping the blood from a cut on his forehead. Sai nodded as he stood up, getting Naruto's help. The two walked out of the abandoned store, both limping slightly as they made their way through the street.

"We have to find the others. But first, where's Sakura-san?" Sai asked as he turned to his companion with curious eyes. Naruto sighed and was about to reply that he didn't know when three figures came dashing towards them. The blonde instantly perked up, a bright smile on his face.

"Hey! Over here!" He yelled as they spotted him, soon coming to a stop in front of him. Naruto glanced at Sasuke's quiet and dazed state for a second before meeting Kakashi's eyes.

"Where's Sakura-chan?" He asked as he watched Kakashi look away with a hint of emotion in his gray eye. Before he could answer, Anko stepped in and took Sai from his arms, tending to his wounds quietly. When Kakashi kept quiet, Naruto stumbled over to Sasuke and grabbed him by the collar, shaking him angrily.

"Hey! Sasuke! Where is she?" Naruto demanded, his blue eyes beginning to spark with a burning rage. Sasuke simply stared into them, seeing himself in them; his pitiful state. He couldn't be that. He _wouldn't _become that.

"Gone. Taken." He coldly stated, trying to regain his normal self again. Naruto widened his eyes in astonishment before tightening the grip on Sasuke's collar and meeting him eye to eye.

"What do you mean 'taken'? You didn't do anything to _bring her back_?" He exclaimed as he shoved his best friend back, rage boiling within him. Kakashi then stepped in and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder gently. The blonde stiffened and lowered his head, his hair blocking his eyes.

"Naruto, we're all affected by this. But we have a way to find her." He reassuringly said, his voice soft. Naruto whirled around and met his former sensei's eyes in anger.

"You should've-"

"Naruto, things have already happened. We can't change that. Now we have to use what we have to bring her back." Anko interrupted as she and Sai walked over to him. Naruto was about to say something but faltered.

"A-alright," Anko gave the teen ninja a small smile and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"We have to leave immediately." She said as she met Kakashi's gaze gravely. He nodded in agreement and summoned Pakkun.

"What's up boss?" The small dog asked as he glanced at the condition everyone else was in.

"I need you to go back to Konoha and take them this message that Sakura has been taken by the Akatsuki." Kakashi said as he wrote the message quickly before strapping it to the dog's collar.

"Got it." Pakkun said as he met his Summoner's eye.

"Go!" Pakkun immediately dashed off in a dark shadow, leaving the rest of the team to gather their things. The group made their way back to the hotel with a grim mood set around them as they entered their rooms. Anko kindly gathered Sakura's pack and strapped it on top of her own before she made her way out of her room and into the hall. She glanced at Kakashi who was leaning against the wall, hands stuffed down his pockets.

"Hey, don't act like everything's your fault. Sakura's become strong, she can fight whatever's holding her down until we find her." Anko scolded as she leaned on the wall next to the gray haired Jounin, arms crossed in front of her.

"It is, though." Kakashi replied quietly, clearing his throat. Anko raised an eyebrow at this and raised her head to meet his gaze.

"Huh?"

"If I had taken her with us on that mission, she would've learned so much more. She would've been able to reach her full potential."

"But she's already done that with Tsunade-sama." Anko commented as she visually saw Kakashi's form slump even further-if that's even possible.

"I was-"

"-and _Tsunade-sama _was the one who had allowed her to be her apprentice. Sakura knew what was happening around her, so she knew what kind of different training she'd have to go through. Kakashi, she knew that she lacked in the skills of an average Genin, besides the accurate chakra control, and decided to change. This-this entire incident-is not your fault." The special Jounin stated as the wise Jounin lifted his head with a hardened gaze. She watched as he clenched a fist in acception. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it as Naruto's and Sasuke's door opened and the two stepped out.

"Let's go." Sasuke quietly said as he strapped his pack on. Naruto followed silently behind all of them, his head lowered, expressionless. Anko glanced back at him and silently sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. Friendships. She couldn't really understand why they were so important. It's not like she remembered having any friends either.

**xXx**

"Orochimaru-sensei!" Miu called out as she returned from her task, holding up a glass tube to her teacher. The yellow eyed Sannin turned his head from his work to see Miu hand the tube to him. He took it gently and lifted it up to his eye to observe it.

"Good, now grab that." He replied as he pointed to a case of other tubes and vials mixed together. Miu nodded and shuffled over to that side, handing him the box. She was completely estatic about what her sensei planned to do with her new experiment. Right now, Sakura was chained up to what looked like a giant steel X, her head tilted to the side. Miu had already planned ahead just in case her precious experiment decided to fight back against the curse seal and set this up. She had to admit, Sakura's fighting spirit was very impressive.

"Sensei, what are you planning to do?" Miu asked as she went to the other side of the table to watch his work. He was mixing the contents of the vials from the box into a glass bowl, the substance merging together into a murky black. The bottle that she had given him was put to the side, the specimen inside scuttling about; a black widow. Whatever use Orochimaru had with it, she didn't know.

"Using the toxin of this dear black widow, I'll mix it in with this here," He explained as he gestured to the murky liquid in front of him. "And it will enhance the effect of the curse mark on Sakura. She won't be able to fight against it once I'm finished." He ended with a low laugh, a grin spreading across his face. Miu smirked at her sensei's love for experimenting and self-consciously touched the curse mark on her own shoulder. One that Orochimaru himself put, before locking her in a room, and waiting for her to see if it had worked.

She closed her eyes for a second as the memory from those years came flooding back.

_"Sensei! Sensei! Don't leave me in here!" Miu cried out as she looked at the teacher who had thrown her into the dark room. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire and she could do nothing but endure it. Orochimaru's gaze was cold as he slowly shut the door, locking her in there. The small girl sobbed in pain as she lay on her side, the black mark, or whatever he called it, throbbing. _

_Days later..._

_The pain had lessened and she could do nothing but sit. She sat against the wall, knees hugged to her chest as she thought about why Orochimaru would do this to her. She buried her face into her knees and tightened herself into a ball, the craving of power crawling up her spine. _

_..._

_She thought that she would be alone, but...apparently not. The door that had locked her in opened once more and spat out another girl; a girl with pupilless eyes and black spiky hair. She landed on to the floor with a thud and was gasping for air, her hand clenching her right shoulder. Miu noted that that was the spot where she was holding right now. _

_"Agh! It hurts! It hurts!" The girl screamed, her body twitching against the ground as she tried to inhale oxygen. _

_"You'll have that curse mark forever." Was what Orochimaru said before he locked the door, casting darkness to the both of them. The girl with spiky hair whimpered against the floor, her body shaking in fear. Miu smirked inwardly at the sight, seeing her pitiful state. Looks like the curse mark wasn't going to accept her. She doesn't _crave _power like she did. _

_"I'm better than you." Miu stated, a hint of superiority in her voice as she stepped out of the darkness. The girl turned and stepped back, her eyes narrowed in anger. _

_"Who're you?" She asked as she carefully pulled out a kunai behind her back. Miu grinned and appeared behind her, bending the girl's arm behind her back and pushing her to the ground._

_"I'm Orochimaru's _better _apprentice." _

_"_I'm _his apprentice!" Miu laughed at this and shoved her to the ground, anger rising from within her. _

_"I was _always _his apprentice. He never doubted me for a second. And now I'm here to test his own creation. The curse mark, the one thing that won't accept you." _

_"What's your name?" The girl demanded as she got up to her feet, hands clenched. _

_"Miu, and yours?" _

_"Anko. If we meet again in the future, and you're _still _this man's apprentice, I will hunt you down and destroy you for wanting for him to continue being your teacher. He uses forbidden techniques and conducts illegal experiments. Is that a teacher you want?" Anko yelled angrily as she started forward, holding Miu's collar tightly. Miu in return grinned and smacked Anko's hand away, a gleam in her eye._

_"Yes. He has power that I want. And I _will _get it." __Anko gaped in shock at her statement and backed away from her. Miu smirked as she thought of what the girl was thinking. 'She's crazy! She can't possibly want to be his apprentice!' __Suddenly, the door had opened and Orochimaru stood outside, a small smile on his face as his eyes met Miu's. _

_"Miu, come out." He stated as he opened the door wider for her. Miu grinned in delight and glanced at a shocked Anko who was on the floor writhing in pain once more. _

_"I'll see you again, loser." _

_In the end, she was better. _

"Miu, it's time." The words brought her out of her daze and she looked up to see Orochimaru holding a syringe filled with the black liquid. Miu glanced over at the bottle with the black widow and saw that it wasn't moving anymore. Her sensei handed her the syringe and walked her over to the unconscious Sakura. He reached up and pushed back the sleeve of her cloak, revealing the unscathed pale skin of her arm.

"Inject that here," He said as he pointed to a spot on the kunoichi's wrist. Miu followed his instructions and stuck the needle into the girl's wrist. Almost immediately, she could see the dark liquid run through her veins and disappear as it buried itself deeper into her bloodstream. Standing back with her teacher, she watched as Sakura's form began to be covered with a dark presence, mainly coming from the curse mark on her shoulder. Miu gaped in surprise as the curse mark's flames appeared on the kunoichi's hands and on her forehead, a small crescent moon.

"Those seals will keep the curse mark under control and never yield under her fighting spirit. Let it take effect for a few hours and then we'll start her training on Morphing." Orochimaru said as he exited the room that was under the Akatsuki headquarters. Miu gazed at her new experiment in awe and smirked as the idea of destroying Konoha came to mind. They had no idea what was coming.

**xXx**

"So, I assume that Pakkun made it here on time?" Kakashi asked as Tsunade stared at him, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Giving me the note that my own _apprentice _was _kidnapped by the Akatsuki?" _She yelled as she stood up, her hands planted on the desk in front of her. Kakashi's guilt turned worse as he saw the look in her eyes; utter sadness.

"...yes." The Jounin replied as he moved his gaze to the floor sadly. Tsunade sighed as she sunk back into her chair, a hand pressed to her forehead exhaustedly.

"Did you place it?" She asked quietly, disturbing the silence in the room.

"Yes, but I'm not sure how long it will last." Kakashi replied as he raised his head and looked outside the window, the view of the village at night coming into his view. Instantly, a puff of smoke appeared next to him and Yamato stood up, a questioning look on his face.

"Yamato, Kakashi placed one of your seeds on Sakura. Track her immediately. She has been taken by the Akatsuki and _must _be retrieved at all costs. Assemble a team with another Jounin and come back as soon as possible." She ordered, a hardened glare set in her eyes. Kakashi raised his hand in interruption, and instantly earned the other's attention.

"What is it, Kakashi?" Tsunade demanded as she gazed out of the window, arms crossed in front of her.

"Also, we obtained information that they are planning to destroy Konoha, with the help of Sakura." Tsunade's frown deepened as she closed her eyes in frustration.

"Yamato," The Jounin straightened up and placed his hands to his sides.

"Yes?"

"Assemble that team and bring Sakura back!" She stated as she opened her eyes, looking out at the village.

"Yes!" Yamato said before giving Kakashi an apologetic glance and disappearing into a puff of smoke. There was a moment of silence before Tsunade turned around and met Kakashi's eyes sadly.

"Why is this happening? To my own apprentice?" She asked herself as she gazed down at her desk with a frown. Kakashi's guilt practically ate him up alive as he cleared his throat.

"I believe it is my fault." He stated, ignoring what Anko had said to him before they left.

"And why is that?" The Hokage asked in a tired voice.

"I didn't bring her on that three year mission and could've taught her so much. Knowledge that might have given a chance for her potential." Tsunade stared at him for a while before shaking her head and sitting back in her chair.

"Kakashi, she came to me, knowing what skills she lacked in. It isn't your fault so stop giving me that damn look!" She exclaimed, meeting his eyes with a hard glare. "Now, I want you on the team that Yamato groups together and all work as one to bring my apprentice back. We can't have maybe one of the best medical ninja aside from myself go against us." Kakashi nodded and bowed before exiting her room quietly. He clenched his fists in anger as the memory from long ago replayed itself in his mind. Her tears, her forced smile, that was the last image he had seen of her.

He was going to change that.

**xXx**

**So...things will start progressing soon now. I do appreciate your reviews! I hope that everything went swell through this chapter! I'll update soon!**


	13. Chapter 12: Precious

Enjoy!

Chapter 12: Precious

**xXx**

The sun was slowly rising from the horizon as the team Yamato assembled started to meet at the main gate. Sai was the first one there, merely sketching on his notebook and waiting for everyone to come. When he had heard that Sakura was taken by the Akatsuki, he also had the urge to bring her back. To him it was like when Naruto had brought Sasuke-kun back. Maybe it was _his _turn to bring their teammate back.

Sai paused on his sketch when he saw the others members of the team approach. He spotted Kiba, Neji, Rock Lee and Sasuke all walking together in one line. He noticed that Kiba and Neji had the skill of tracking. _Probably why they were put on this mission, _he thought to himself as they stopped in front of him.

"Good morning, Sai-san! How is my youthful friend doing?" Lee greeted cheerfully as he saluted the former ANBU member. Sai gave him a fake smile and nodded in return before he returned to sketching.

"Naruto isn't here yet?" Kiba asked in a sleep deprived voice as he glanced around for the blonde haired teen.

"No, not yet, however I'm sure he'll turn up soon." Sai replied as he stopped his artwork and packed it away.

"So Sasuke, do you know how we will get Sakura-san back?" Neji asked quietly as he met eyes with the Uchiha. Sasuke looked at the Hyuuga for a moment before closing his eyes and sighing.

"No, but Kakashi mentioned something about 'putting something' so I assume that it's a tracking seed or something along those lines." He replied in the same tone, putting his hands in his pockets. His fingertips grazed the painted cherry blossom kunai, giving him a constant reminder of who they desperately wanted to bring home.

Only a few minutes later did the rest of the team show up. Even though it was about six in the morning, Naruto looked completely energized as he tried to pump the team up with his over load of excitement. Kakashi suppressed a yawn and glanced at Yamato who was still trying to wake himself up. As the team began to clamor with complaints about Naruto being too loud, Yamato cleared his throat and caught their attention.

"Alright, Tsunade-sama told me that this mission was to bring Sakura back at all costs. She says we cannot afford to have someone like her against us, especially when she has Intel about our entire village. She also added that we must return as soon as possible but I don't think it'll be an easy task." Everyone grouped around the co-captain of the cell as he went over the instructions.

"Our objective is to bring Sakura back. But we're up against the Akatsuki here so this mission will be ranked as an A Classed mission. I doubt that all the members of the Akatsuki are willing to fight against us, especially when all we're trying to do is get to Sakura, but we must be careful. There will probably be members who are willing to fight, and others who just see it as child's play. But still, we must infiltrate their location before it is too late." Yamato finished and stepped back as the team's main captain came forward.

"Okay, we'll split up into two cells and stay together that way. Kiba, Neji and Lee, you're with Yamato. Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, with me. Yamato will explain on the way so let's go." As soon as Kakashi was finished, the group dashed off into the trees and immediately separated into their cells.

"Yamato," Kakashi called out as said man turned around. Yamato nodded and placed his hands together, concentrating. Within the darkness of his mind, he could feel an evil and dark chakra slowly getting larger. _Th-This is Sakura's! How could the curse mark take over so quickly? W-wait a sec…_

In the depths of the maze inside his head, Yamato located where Sakura was but could not exactly pinpoint where her exact location was. _This dark chakra is messing with my tracking seed! Hopefully no one decides to take the seed off before we reach her. _

"Okay, I cannot place her exact location, but we'll go off on what we have. This way!" The wood user said to the team as he dashed off in a different direction. The others followed easily and soon a couple of them were engaged in conversation.

Sasuke was thinking quietly to himself as he stayed beside his best friend when the teen named Sai who looked a bit like him came in front of him. The Uchiha looked up and gave the guy an irritated glare, who in return simply smiled.

"What is it?" Sasuke coldly asked as they jumped off a branch for more speed. Sai looked over his shoulder as he kept moving, not breaking eye contact with him.

"I was wondering, what was it like before Naruto brought you back to Konoha?" The question surprised him, but it wasn't that difficult to answer.

"Why do you need to know?" He snapped instead, sending the former Root member an icy look.

"I feel that I should know. Since I also want to bring Sakura-san back," Sasuke's eyebrow twitched slightly at his words and wondered if there was a hidden meaning beneath them.

"It's-" Naruto suddenly butted in next to him and smacked his hand over his friend's mouth, a cheery grin on his face.

"Ah Sai, I'll _gladly _tell you what happened! So I had gone down to track this Uchiha with Kakashi in tow and faced off a battle with him. We both had done our signature moves, nearly both dying in the process when we both met each other in our minds. I can't really remember most of the conversation, but I'm pretty sure I said something that made Sasuke here change his mind. I bet his life before was just a wreck, but now he's here with us! So I'm sure it's gotten _way _better right?" Naruto glanced over at his best friend who was sending him daggers as he shoved his hand off of his mouth.

"Shut up," He growled as he looked away, refusing to meet the grinning teen's eyes.

"See? Life's been _really _good to him so far. Well except for this whole 'Sakura' thing-" Naruto was interrupted when Sasuke had thrust his hand out and grabbed the teen's collar, gripping it dangerously hard.

"Say another word Naruto," Sasuke met his eyes with a furious glare and surrounded himself in a cold aura. Naruto gulped and nervously smiled, pushing the Uchiha's hand away from his face.

"G-got it," He replied as he looked down at the ground a bit dejectedly. Sai didn't really understand what had just happened and had put it to the side, deciding to say something else.

"I once read in a book that if there's a 'damsel in distress', the man she lo-" Naruto instantly smacked his hand over Sai's mouth and laughed uneasily as he glanced over at his silent friend. When Sasuke made no response, Naruto whipped his head around to meet Sai's and met him eye to eye.

"Sai, let me tell you this straight out, _never _mention things like that to him, e_specially _to him. Got that?" He whispered fearfully as he eyed the almost emotionless teen carefully. Sai looked a bit confused but nodded in silence, dismissing the subject.

Kakashi, who had seen all this, chuckled quietly to himself as he noticed at how his two former students had grown. _Especially Naruto. _Starting off as an over energetic knucklehead ninja, he's transformed into a strong and reliable shinobi. He also noticed that Sasuke had somewhat matured after he had returned, that distant part of him slowly fading away. _I guess life for him really _has _changed. _Kakashi smiled softly at this as Naruto slapped his hand across Sai's mouth again.

"_I'll never give up!" That was Naruto's Ninja Way. He's never gone back on his word. _Kakashi blinked and saw Sasuke looking back at him curiously, his eyebrow arched. The silver haired Jounin raised a hand and grinned.

"Ahaha, no need to worry about me, I'm perfectly fine back here Sasuke." He kindly said as Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Che," He grumbled before he turned away and sped up his pace to catch up with the others. Hatake Kakashi smiled once more at his oh so cool former student and increased his pace as well, calling for Naruto and Sai to hurry up.

Hopefully they could reach Sakura in time.

**xXx**

"Sakura, once more!" Miu called out from the stance she was in, the seal she had placed, weakening. She bent down, made some hand signs and pressed her palms flat on the stone ground, increasing the size of the barrier that was around her pink kunoichi.

"Hai!" She replied from inside, no longer feeling emotion. Her red eyes had a dull light in them as she lowered her head and made the hand signs. With her hands moving quickly, the air around her stirred and slowly circled her legs. The sound of her hands coming together echoed around the large cavern the two were in as she called out the jutsu.

"Lightning Beast Transformation!" Sakura knelt down and pressed the palm of her hand against the ground as clouds of dust began to rise from the dirt. A crack formed under the spot her hand was on and grew larger, the crack exploded and out came a saber toothed tiger in the shape of a cloud, electric bolts sparking from its back.

The tiger cloud rose up and plunged itself into Sakura's body, a wave of dust coming up and bouncing off the barrier. Sakura's figure soon dissolved into the cloud vapor and her red eyes appeared inside the tiger. Sakura's beast transformation was complete. She took a step forward and roared, lifting her head up to the barrier, her red eyes filled with an unsatisfied anger.

Miu grinned as Sakura growled ferociously, extremely happy that she managed to get her to learn it in only a matter of days. _This _was going to be the technique to destroy Konoha. Orochimaru's apprentice let go of the seal and the barrier slowly faded away.

"Okay Sakura! You can let it go!" She called as the tiger soon began to disperse, soon leaving the figure of Sakura standing in the middle, the dull look returning into her eyes. Miu approached her and put a hand on her head, ruffling the girl's hair, even though she couldn't feel it.

"Awesome job Sakura! I had no idea you could keep all this chakra up." She cheerfully complimented, laughing.

"Thank you," Sakura replied in an emotionless tone, nodding her head once. Miu grabbed the kunoichi's hand and led her out of the cavern, glad that she had taught her what she knew. Now when they invaded Konoha, they could perform the jutsu together. She was grateful for letting Orochimaru agree to help her out on her first experiment. Sakura was kind of like a friend, except without all the emotions and stuff.

"Let's go show the others our new technique!" Miu pumped a fist into the air as she made her way over to Deidara's and Sasori's room. She banged her fist against the door and about only two seconds later did Deidara pull the door open with a fuming look on his face.

"WHAT?" He yelled into Miu's face, an exhausted look in his eyes. Miu pouted and slapped him across the face. Deidara stumbled into the door post but put his hand out to steady himself. Holding his cheek, he looked at Miu with a freaked out look on his face.

"THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" He screeched as he grabbed her by the collar and lifting her off the ground. Sakura simply leaned against the wall behind her, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"You don't yell at a girl, _especially when they knock nicely." _Miu sweetly said, a deadly smile on her face. Deidara's eye twitched in annoyance as he looked at the new recruit, wishing she would just go away.

"What do you want then yeah?" He asked, bringing his tone down a bit. Miu smiled and patted the blonde's cheek.

"There that wasn't hard was it?" Deidara scowled and placed her down on the floor, clenching his fists by his sides.

"_What is it girl?" _He demanded, leaning against the door post with an irritated look on his face.

"I want to show you a new technique Sakura and I made! It's a work of art!" The bomb user snorted and leaned forward, poking the teen in the forehead with his finger.

"Nothing can surpass my art. So don't go around saying shit like that, about how your technique's a _work of art _yeah?" He growled before he stood up straight again, his long hair swishing against his form. Miu scowled and stuck her chin up in the air proudly.

"Fine, just come see it then. I'm going to get Sasori," Before she had the chance to move, Deidara grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around.

"Don't mention how your technique's a work of art or he and I will get in a massive fight yeah? Shit's gonna go down if you do and I really don't feel like having Pain messing with me again hm?" He said with an arched brow before shutting his door behind him and following her to Sasori's room.

"You and your damn art ways," She muttered under her breath as she sent the man a glare.

"What was that hm?" Deidara asked as he loomed over the girl, his shadow growing large because of the torches.

"Nothing, you bastard," Miu replied in return as she stopped in front of Sasori's door. This time she quietly knocked on the wooden door and waited for the door to open.

"Oh so you decide to do that to his door but not to _mine?" _ The blonde behind her scoffed as he leaned against the wall next to a silent Sakura. He gave her a glance once or twice and thought she was quite pretty when he remembered who she was. The door quietly opened and the short Sasori stepped out, a curious look on his puppet face.

"What is it Miu?" He asked as he leaned against the door post, his ageless face gazing down at the teen.

"Sakura and I developed a new technique and we wanted to show it to you! C'mon!" She excitedly said as she grabbed Sasori's arm and dragged him back to the cavern where the two were before. Deidara glanced at the silent Sakura once more and wondered why Miu even wanted to test her as an experiment.

Soon enough Sakura was back in her beast transformation with Miu alongside her in the form of a white wolf. The two roared in unison, both glaring down at the two other Akatsuki members, their eyes blazing with fire. Deidara whistled in awe and crossed his arms over his chest. Sasori instead nodded approvingly before he turned around and began to walk back to his room.

"W-where are you going Sasori-san?" Miu asked through her beast form, her voice deeper.

"I have to work on my puppets. It was an adequate technique. I liked it. Now goodbye," The puppeteer disappeared in the hall, leaving Deidara to observe the work. He looked at the two of them with calculating eyes before sticking his chin up in the air and walking away.

"See ya kid." He waved behind his head and headed back to his room when he heard a pop. Miu was on him in seconds, pinned down on the floor with his hands behind his back. How could he have not sensed that? Maybe it was because he was so god damn tired.

"Hey, hey, do you wanna help me destroy Konoha?" She asked in a cute voice as she bent down next to his ear, a widened grin on her face.

"Konoha? As much as I love destroying things and shit…I think Pain's gonna blow it if I bail out of a mission again." He replied as Miu let him up, a sad frown on her face.

"Then who am I going to go with besides Sakura and myself?" She mumbled to herself, her eyes cast to the ground.

"I dunno, deal with it yourself," And with that, Deidara was gone in a flash. Sakura appeared next to Miu and put a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly yet expressionless.

"C'mon, let's go ask Orochimaru-sensei."

**xXx**

"Alright, stop here! We'll camp out here till we reach them. From the location they are at now, I have reason to believe that Sakura is with a few of the Akatsuki members underground because they aren't at the Hidden Rain Village." Yamato ordered as they reached a small clearing. Kiba plopped down next to a tree as he tried to catch his breath, Akamaru whining beside him.

Kakashi, who didn't break a sweat began to unroll his roll, flattening it down with his hands. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Naruto setting his own up next to Sasuke's. Coincidentally, Sai set his up next to Naruto's. The Jounin smiled and created the circle where they would start the fire.

"Neji, Lee, could you go out and get some wood?" He asked to the two who were currently free of any tasks. Said two teens stood up and nodded as they made their way into the forest.

Yamato set up some traps outside just in case and went out with the two guys to warn them of where they were, leaving Kakashi to watch over the three friends as well as Kiba who were quietly talking by themselves. Faintly, he could hear their conversation but chose to keep out of it. He reached inside his pouch and pulled out his _Icha Icha Paradise _novel and flipped to the page he had stopped at. No matter how many times he's read it, it never gets old.

Sasuke leaned against the tree and tried to gather his chakra when Naruto engaged a conversation with the look alike of him. He stared at Sai who had responded quietly, his face barely expressing anything. His thoughts had wandered back to the conversation they both held only a while ago. Sai also wanted to bring Sakura back? What kind of relationship did the two have when he was gone? The Uchiha glanced over at him and met eyes with him for a brief moment before looking away.

"Sasuke, do you agree?" He suddenly asked out of the blue. Sasuke lifted his head up to meet Sai's inquiring gaze.

"Huh? Y-yeah," He didn't hear the conversation before but had gone with it. As soon as he said that, Naruto suppressed a laugh by smacking his hand over his mouth. Sasuke glared at the teen who's face was turning pink.

"Y-you actually agree with that?" Sai asked in an astonished voice. The Uchiha looked at him and saw him completely surprised. Just what the hell was the question?

"Agree with what?" Kiba asked as he approached the three, jumping up to the branch above them.

"That Sakura-san has taken a liking to me." Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he stared at Sai, his eyes blazing for an unknown reason. Kiba blinked in confusion as he glanced over that the Uchiha, a bit surprised that he'd actually agree.

"In _my _opinion, I think that Sakura would more than kill you rather than take a liking to you. She punches you practically all the time." The Inuzuka countered as he gazed down at a thoughtful Sai.

"And that's because you constantly insult her." Naruto added in, his laughing fit gone. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows at this and wondered to himself. _He insults her? _

"Well I only say the things that are true." Sai replied bluntly, earning a thump to the head by Naruto.

"Hey, only _half _of them are!" The blonde yelled as he defended his friend. Kiba chuckled from above and looked up at the sky, seeing the bright stars that sparkled down at them. He closed his eyes and remembered what Ino had asked of him before he had left.

_"Hey! Inuzuka!" He had turned around to see Ino running towards him in her pajamas. _

_"Ah? What is it?" Ino panted breathlessly before straightening up and pointing at him with a gleam in her eye. _

_"If you don't bring Sakura back, I'll personally make sure that you don't see the light of day. Give that warning to the others too!" She said as she cracked her knuckles, a dangerous spark in her eyes. Kiba gave her a nervous gaze before composing himself and walking away. _

_"Yeah," _

Kiba looked down at the group of guys and the team captain who was sitting in a corner reading a book. _Will we be able to bring her back? _He thought to himself as he glanced back up at the stars.

_We have to. _

**xXx**

"Alright guys, wake up." Kakashi called out to the snoozing shinobis that were in the corner. He felt sorry for Sai who was used as a pillow, Naruto's head on his chest, a bit of drool dripping off the side of his mouth. Sai was awake when he met Kakashi's eyes and gave him a weak smile.

"Don't worry, he'll wake up." He reassured before looking down at the sleeping teen. He stared at him for a moment before taking his hands and shoving Naruto's body off of him, sending him face first into a tree. He screamed in pain as he fell on his back, his face filled with splinters.

"Hey! What's your problem Sai!" He yelled as he approached the former ANBU, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt.

"You were drooling on me." He replied instantly as he stood up on his feet and pushed Naruto's hand away. Naruto in return stumbled back and stepped on a still snoozing Sasuke. The Uchiha's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he opened his eyes, a cold glare in them. He sat up and jabbed the teen in the back with a finger. Naruto whirled around and realized who he had just stepped on, a fearful look in his eyes. He knew how Sasuke was in the morning. _Not good! _

"Let's go Naruto," Yamato called out as he strapped his back and clipped the buckle over his chest. Neji and Lee were already awake, doing the same. Sasuke quickly packed his things and straightened his clothing out before pulling his pack on. Naruto and Sai followed suit, packing up their rolls.

Naruto grabbed his headband and tightened it around his forehead, looking at the others with a grin.

"Let's go!"

And with that the team set off once more, leaping into the trees. Yamato checked to see if the seed was still working and stumbled a bit in surprise when he saw that the dark chakra from before had completely wiped out the seed's location.

"Damnit, the seed's gone." Yamato said as he glanced back at Kakashi. The silver Jonin nodded and the wood user glanced over to Neji who immediately understood.

"Byakugan!" He activated his bloodline limit and searched for the certain chakra he was so familiar with. He had gone about 5 kilometers when he detected a presence approaching where they were at an alarming pace.

"Everyone, there's a figure coming about 5 kilometers from here." Neji said to the others as he continued to watch the person.

"Alright then, get into your cells and when I say scatter, do so." Kakashi ordered as Naruto, Sasuke and Sai came together and glanced at each other. Neji narrowed his eyes as the person was about 2 kilometers away.

"Ten seconds," He said to Kakashi who immediately called out "Scatter!"

Everyone disappeared and the figure landed at the spot where they were just at, bending down on their knees and panting as he looked up and searched for the Konoha nin. Barely behind him, another figure came to a stop beside him and glanced around, her red earring moving.

"Where are they?" Chihiro asked as she hopped on the branch her brother was on. Haru straightened up and closed his eyes, placed his hand on a nearby tree. Only a second later, he opened his eyes and whirled around, his kunai clashing against Yamato's.

"Who are you?" The wood user asked as he jumped back. Haru glanced up and saw the Leaf Symbol, immediately putting his kunai away.

"Is Naruto here?" He asked in a hurried voice. Naruto's head appeared from the leaves of a tree and came down when he realized who the person was.

"Haru!" He was about to approach him when Yamato stopped him out of curiosity.

"You know him?" He inquired as he glanced back at the silver haired teen. Naruto excitedly nodded as he explained that they had met him back in the Country of Lightning.

"What're you doing here?" He asked as he met Haru's worried eyes. Sai and Sasuke stood next to each other as their comrade grinned. Yamato's cell stood to the side, making sure to keep their guard up.

"I came looking for you because I felt Sakura's chakra near my village. I figured that she might be in trouble and wanted to contact the Leaf as soon as possible when I ran into you guys. Not a long while ago, her chakra had turned dark and I my only guess why is the curse mark." He explained as Kakashi stepped up next to Naruto, a serious look in his eye.

"So will you be coming with us?" Haru exchanged glances with Chihiro and gave the Jonin and hesitant look.

"I don't think I'll be able to go because of my injuries that are still healing, but Chihiro might be able to go." He replied as he looked over at his sister.

"If its for Sakura then yes. Will you need any more assistance other than myself?" She asked as she eyed the other team members curiously.

"No, you are more than enough Chihiro, Haru, could you tell us where Sakura's chakra last was?" Kakashi asked as he turned his head to the Jonin. Haru nodded and pulled out a map, marking where it was with a pen. He handed the map to Kakashi who copied it down on his own.

"I hope you find her." He said before he gave Chihiro one last look.

"Be careful." He warned before he dashed off once more, heading for his Village. Chihiro then turned to the others and nodded, soon joining them as they made their way to Sakura. Kakashi quickly briefed her on what was happening and was impressed to see her take it all in so easily. However he noticed the troubled look on her face.

"We'll bring her back." Kakashi reassured with a small smile. Chihiro shook her head and sighed, a bothered look still in her eyes.

"Its not that. It's the chakra Haru and I had sensed. The dark chakra. I am afraid to say this, but I think that the curse mark has fully taken over her will. If she were fighting against it, we would have noticed it by now. If you are looking to bring her back, it will be a most difficult task for you all." She said with a hint of foreboding within her words. Kakashi narrowed his eye at this statement and looked at Naruto.

_We _must _bring her back, for the sake of the village. _

**xXx**

"L-let...me...go...Miu..." Sakura managed to say as she struggled under the seal's power. She was chained against the giant X once more, the seals on her hands and forehead glowing in an effort to control her once more. Miu raised her eyebrows in awe at the sheer will of this kunoichi but crossed her arms over her chest contently.

"No. You're going to help me." She said with her chin lifted into the air proudly.

"By...doing...what?" The pink haired kunoichi struggled to say, the exhaustion expressed all over her face.

"By destroying Konoha of course." Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she tried to pull the chains that held her back. Miu grinned manically as she saw this and made the seals that would bind the girl once more. She thrust her hand out and called out the jutsu.

"Crescent Mind Control Jutsu!" Instantly, Sakura's green eyes faded back to that blood red, and her face became expressionless once more. The effort to struggle ceased and the bonds around her wrists were released.

"C'mon Sakura, Orochimaru-sensei has been _dying _see you." She cheerfully said as she led the girl out of the small cavern. Suddenly, Deidara appeared in front of her with his Akatsuki cloak on. He looked like he was about to go somewhere.

"Hey you," He demanded as he stood up straight, towering over the girl. Miu scowled and crossed her arms, obviously irritated.

"What?"

"Those Leaf duds are coming to pick her up. Pain specifically ordered me to bring lead you far away from this underground headquarters. He doesn't want yet _another _one blowing up yeah? Oh, and he wants your new experiment to fight this time. Hm, a Konoha traitor against her own people. I'd love to see that hm!" Miu grinned at the sudden news and grabbed Sakura's hand, following Deidara quickly.

Damn, she couldn't wait to see their faces once they saw Sakura.

**xXx**

I hoped you liked this chapter! Soon the battle between the former teammate and her friends will soon commence!

Review?


	14. Chapter 13: Teammates

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! I just had a real quick question. Just read this really quickly and I'll let you go to read this chapter. Is the title for this story a suitable one? Or should I change it? Oh and the summary as well. I was thinking of changing both, but if I did I was a bit worried that you guys would mistake me for deleting the story and probably go out on a hunt down for my head…^^;; Yeah, well I'm just putting out that I'm gonna change the title and summary so the next time I update, it'll look different.

Now, READ ON.

Chapter 13: Teammates

**xXx**

"This looks like a good place for a fight yeah?" Deidara asked as he gazed around at the open clearing. Miu scowled and glanced over at the large coverage of trees to the side and pointed over there.

"That place looks better. We can hide." She retorted as she headed for that area with Sakura in tow.

"HEY! THIS PLACE IS BETTER SO I CAN BLOW UP THEIR ASSES!" The Akatsuki member yelled as he put his fist in the air angrily. Miu waved over her shoulder and jumped into the shadows.

"You'll just be the distraction! Get rid of most of them and leave the ones who get past you to me." Miu replied through the trees, her voice soon fading as she got further away. Deidara frowned at her idea but grinned the nonetheless for he finally got to do something.

Digging into the pouch strapped to his side, his mouth hands ate the bomb clay and formed a large bird. He made a seal and the bird changed into a large version of it, flapping its clay wings. Deidara hopped on to its back and flew off into the sky, waiting for the inevitable.

"Just you wait Konoha brats; you'll get to see my _true _art!"

**xXx**

"H-hold it!" Chihiro called out as she sensed Sakura's chakra change suddenly. Everyone, startled by her outburst stopped instantly, and grabbed on to the nearest branch they could find. They were all a bit flustered from the yell, hanging off branches and barely getting their footing, everyone except for Kakashi that is.

"What's wrong?" The silver haired Jonin asked as he approached her. Chihiro made a seal and she closed her eyes, needing to make sure.

"There's no doubt about it. Sakura's location changed. I bet they know we're coming." She replied as she looked at the ever so filled with wisdom Kakashi.

"So what do we do now that they know?" Kiba asked as he stroked Akamaru's fur.

"Well we have to get to Sakura, so we have to go in the direction where she is now. Chihiro, will you lead us?" Kakashi replied as he glanced at the silver haired girl who looked a bit nervous. She took a deep breath and sighed, putting her hands together.

"Of course, this way!" She turned and leapt off in a different direction, only to be followed by the others with incredible speed. The need to reach Sakura was growing steadily. Sasuke hid the cherry blossom kunai in his sleeve and pleaded with all his heart that they'd reach her in time. Kakashi fell behind to talk to Sasuke and recognized a look in his eye that he had seen many times.

"Sasuke, whatever happens, don't lose control." He warned in a low voice, meeting the Uchiha's eyes. Sasuke simply stared back calmly and narrowed his eyes at his words.

"Hn, you know I won't." And with that, he added chakra to the bottom of his feet and joined his companions up in the front. Kakashi gave the disappearing figure a look a worry and sighed as he brought up the back.

"Everyone! Stop!" Chihiro called out, putting her hand out to stop them. Gripping a branch above her, she gazed out into the clearing with a calculating look on her face. She glanced over at Kakashi and immediately understood.

"Neji," He said, meeting gazes with the Byakugan user. The ever so calm ninja nodded and activated it. He checked the ground and gritted his teeth when he spotted mines planted in the dirt. He scanned the trees around but saw nothing else that looked like bombs. He was about to tell everyone this information when he extended his view.

Seeing her familiar hair framing her face, Neji widened his eyes in shock as he saw Sakura sit next to a girl who looked the same age as her, wearing an Akatsuki cloak. _Was this Miu? _

"Neji, what do you see?" Naruto asked curiously as he leaned forward anxiously. Neji deactivated his Byakugan and turned around, a grim look on his face.

"There are mines down on the ground but more importantly, Sakura is just past this section with Miu by her side. They seem to be waiting for us. We need to be cautious since they know." He warned as he glanced at a concentrating Kakashi.

The team captain let out a breath and went up to the front to give out orders to the others. He met Sasuke and Naruto's eyes and nodded.

"Alright, since the Akatsuki know that we're coming, they're bound to have reinforcements. So be on your guard. Watch their movements closely, fight, and don't give up." He smiled at Naruto who had broke out into a grin and nodded. Kakashi met everyone else's gaze and saw the expressions on their faces change. They were all serious now.

"Let's go." They all dashed into the clearing with Neji leading the way. He took them away from the bombs but stopped suddenly when he saw from afar the figure that was approaching rapidly.

"Back! Get back!" He yelled as he leaped back into the trees. The others followed suit with a confused look on their faces when a sudden explosion made it clear.

A large bird descended from the sky and landed on the other side of the mines, flapping its wings as it slowed, its rider smirking. The red clouds could be seen by the team and immediately alerted them of who they were against. Naruto clenched his fists in anger as he spotted the blonde hair blocking half the man's eye.

"Deidara," He hissed as he tried to restrain himself from launching himself out there. Sasuke put a hand on his shoulder and glanced at Kakashi, waiting. He nodded and they jumped out into the clearing, careful of the mines as they glared at the Akatsuki member.

"Yo! I finally get to find you guys again!" Deidara greeted with a smirk as he recognized Team 7 and Sai. "But now we've got your pretty girl with us so get your asses' outta here before I blow 'em up!" He yelled as he watched their reactions. Lee bristled with anger but Neji held him back, a calming hand on the Green Beast's shoulder.

"Stay calm. We need to think." He whispered in his ear, his emotions tucked away. Yamato furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed another chakra presence further away.

"Everyone, I do believe that Sakura is over there." He said, staring at the location where she was. Kakashi frowned slightly at the thought of having to leave half his team behind but shook it off, putting his faith in them.

"Alright, let's go, Sai, Sasuke, Naruto. Yamato, be careful." The four Jonins dashed off quickly into the woods, surprising the bomb user into screeching angrily.

"HEY! YOU FOUR, GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT!" He let out a frustrated growl and stared at his new opponents. Yamato stood in front of the team and crossed his arms, a serious look in his eye.

"We're your opponents now." He stated as the others poised themselves, getting into their stances and tensing up.

"Damn, and I wanted to fight those guys so badly…oh well, I'll just have fun making you guys explode!" Deidara cheered himself up, stuffing his hands into the pouches once more.

"Get ready for the Green Beast of Konoha will defeat you!" Lee confidently stated, bending his knees, Neji by his side. Kiba got on Akamaru and growled, baring his teeth in anger. Chihiro pulled out her sword that was strapped to her back, a determined gaze set.

"Haha! You think you can beat my _art? _MY ART IS A BANG!" Deidara exclaimed in return as he rose up into the sky once more. He put his hand in front of him and glared down at the others, a grin on his face.

"KATSU!"

**xXx**

As soon as Team Kakashi was at the edge of the other clearing, Sasuke felt his heart stop painfully. There sitting on a rock next to Miu was the girl he missed so badly, her green eyes now a deep blood red. She had an expressionless look on her face as she silently listened to Miu's words, whatever they were.

"Sensei, why aren't we going out there? What's wrong with Sakura?" Naruto inquired quietly as he stood next to his former teacher, a worried look in his bright blue eyes. Kakashi Hatake frowned slightly as he noticed Sakura's lack of spirit.

_So she _is _being controlled. Now that we know…how do we stop it? _

Sasuke could barely keep his impatience in check as he waited for his sensei's words to go. What was he doing, just standing there? Sakura was _right there. _Sai looked out from the shadows and saw the empty look in Sakura-san's eyes, the power of the curse mark.

"_What's wrong Team 7? Afraid to bring your teammate back to you?" _They all looked up at the voice and saw that Miu was staring directly at them, a smirk on her lips. Kakashi scowled and made the signal, dashing out into the clearing.

Sasuke took the kunai that was hidden up his sleeve and put it into his hand by spinning it by the hole at the end. He raised his arm into a defensive position and glared at the girl who used one of his best friend's as an _experiment. _

Naruto literally seethed with anger but kept the Nine Tail's chakra under control, clenching his fists. He could feel his nails dig into his palms and glared at the purple haired girl.

Sai, not knowing much about the girl, still felt a twinge of anger because she thought Sakura was a toy. _She is very well not. More like an old hag, but not a _toy. The former Root member tensed as Miu stood up, a mocking look in her eyes.

The sensei of Team 7 watched the girl's movements closely as she stood up from her spot and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"It's nice to see you all again." She greeted as she stared at them with cold eyes. Sakura stood up only moments after and went behind her, her pale face bringing out her red eyes.

With a narrowed eye, Kakashi spotted the crescent marks on his former student's palms and the diamond on her forehead. _Were they what held her to the curse? How were we to get rid of them? _He thought to himself as he tried to formulate a plan.

"Give Sakura back! She's _isn't _your experiment and-"

"-most certainly not your _toy_!" Sai interrupted, surprising himself a bit. He didn't expect to say that. Apparently Sasuke didn't either for he glanced at him over his shoulder, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Oh? Then take a look at her new technique!" Miu slyly countered as she activated the girl's curse mark with a seal. The curse seal's flames covered half her face, an overwhelming dark chakra coming down on the lot of them. Kakashi grimaced at the strength this certain curse mark had and pulled out a kunai. Naruto looked about ready to explode but Sasuke managed to restrain him, his hand wrapped around the Jinchuuriki's collar.

"Stay calm, if you lose yourself now, you'll kill us all!" He whispered into the teen's ear, sensing most of the anger dying out.

"I wonder how it'll feel for one of your own to fight against you." Miu asked with a gleeful look in her eyes. Sakura stepped forward unconsciously and went in front of Miu, taking a stance.

"Sakura, don't do this!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to get through to her.

"You idiot, she can no longer hear you." Miu said with a smirk as she took a seat down on the rock. _I won't have Sakura use the Beast Transformation, but another technique I developed. _

"Go Sakura!" She called out, pointing to the rest of Team Kakashi. The curse mark's flames fully took over her body as she conducted hand seals, a scowl on her features.

"Get ready," Kakashi warned in a low voice as he tensed up, anticipation crawling up his spine. Sakura bent down on one knee and ended with hand seal bird, joining her hands together to form a circle that was directed at them. They tensed as she widened her eyes and called out the jutsu.

"Lightning Style: Thunder Raid!"

"Sakura-chan, don't do it!" Naruto yelled out desperately, his blue eyes filled with a deep pleading.

Almost instantly, the sky turned a gray color and a dark cloud started to form from the circle in her hands and quickly spread around the group, making them move closer together. The air soon became humid and a thunderclap hit the air, startling Sasuke slightly. Soon the thunderclaps came repeatedly, making the Uchiha's ears implode painfully.

He glanced around and saw that everyone else was experience this, holding their hands to their ears, everyone except for Kakashi that is. He tried to remain as focused as possible, his post as team captain commanding him forth.

"Bolt Clash!" On the outside of the cloud, Sakura with her hands spread out, drew her fingers diagonally in front of her, seeing the white sparks coming from the clouds.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and glanced over to Kakashi who had lifted his headband up, completely alert. Amidst the thunder, they both could hear something….something…._crackling. _As soon as the loudest thunderclap ended, lightning bolts appeared out of the clouds and zapped the ground in a scattered motion.

The team saw this and tried to leap away, only to have another raid of thunder come and implode their ears, making them pause in their movements for only a millisecond. This one hesitation was all that this jutsu needed to work. Lightning bolts appeared from behind of each of the Jonins and wrapped around their limbs, pulling them into the cloud and separating them from their teammates.

Miu smirked in amusement as the technique Sakura played out began to work its magic. She lifted her head towards the gray sky and closed her eyes as it started to rain. And through this rain, pain filled screams had filled the air.

**xXx**

"Dammit," Kiba cursed to himself as he jumped back from the explosions in front of him, shielding his face from the dirt. Chihiro suddenly came out of the smoke and landed on her side next to him, coughing. The animal specialist bent down and asked if she was alright but she simply got up to her knees, clutching her side. He noticed that there was blood seeping through her uniform.

"This is just _one _Akatsuki member?" She asked breathlessly as she ignored the pain in her side, standing up. Kiba nodded a bit nonchalantly and tensed up as Akamaru joined his side once more. The two were about to charge again when pain filled screams filled the air.

Chihiro froze in place and recognized Naruto's voice in the screaming. Suddenly, it started raining, making the battle with the Akatsuki even worse.

"That's Naruto-kun!" Lee called out as he jumped back from an explosion. Neji and Yamato did the same, wiping the dirt off of their foreheads.

"I do hope they're alright." Chihiro softly said as she rolled her cramped wrist to release the tension.

"We all do." Yamato replied in return before he looked up at the clay bird above them. The smoke slowly cleared with the help of the rain to reveal about thirty craters created from the mines from below. Kiba gritted his teeth and leaned forward as Akamaru tensed beside him.

"Let's go! We have to help bring Sakura back remember? And to do that, we gotta beat _this _guy first!" He yelled as he charged forward, doing Fang over Fang to the somewhat damaged Deidara.

Chihiro nodded and joined the Inuzuka as well, slashing down and managing to cut off the tail of the bird. Deidara cursed as he went down, sending out a barrage of clay bombs at the pair. The two leaped away but were caught in the explosion, falling to the ground from its recoil.

Yamato, Lee, and Neji went off in their turn and worked as a team, using Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation, Konoha's Leaf Whirlwind, and Earth Style: Earth Flow Spears on the mangled Deidara. With all the beatings all at once, he yelled in agitation and shoved them all back with a handful of bombs.

Thrown off their feet, they landed on their backs painfully but quickly got up to their feet, searching for Deidara who could no longer be seen. Chihiro panted as she knelt on one knee, trying to gather her chakra when she felt his presence behind her. Whirling around, she ducked under the hand that was about to throw the bomb and plunged the sword into the man's heart.

She smiled in victory, but that smile was soon wiped off her face when Deidara's body soon lost its color and became a white clay clone. She grabbed the hilt of her weapon and yanked it out a bit too late when she heard the words, "Katsu!" Chihiro hit the ground hard from the blast and gripped her shoulder as she tried to ignore the pain.

"Chihiro-san!" Lee called out as he ran over, a look of terror taking place on his face. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. Struggling to breathe, she clawed at the hand wrapped around her throat.

"Hehe, get ready for a boom!" Deidara said with a grin.

"Wood Style: Capture!" Wood came out from under the ground and wrapped around Deidara's limbs, preventing him from moving.

"What the hell? Agh, you Konoha _brats!" _He yelled as Lee took Chihiro from his grip and taking her off to the side.

"Now!" Yamato yelled as Neji and Kiba flew past him.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" Neji yelled as he blocked all of Deidara's chakra points just as Yamato released the jutsu. Struggling to stand, the Akatsuki member gritted his teeth and put a seal in front of him.

"Katsu!" Immediately, the others leaped away from him just as the bombs went off around them. Hearing them yell, he used this as the chance to get back up in the air. He plunged his hand back into the pouch and made the larger bird appear. When he was about to jump on, the wooden restraints appeared around him again and he yelled in agitation.

"YOU KONOHA BASTARDS! I'M GONNA MAKE YOU ALL DISAPPEAR WITH A BANG!" He yelled with fury as he tore through the bindings. He jumped on to the clay bird he created and flew high into the sky, his mouth hands eating more of the clay.

"Take this you bunch of duds! Creative Destruction!" With the spread of his hands, an ocean of spiders spread all around the team on the ground below and were soon joined in with a swarm of birds. He noticed that they had no time to react and grinned.

"KATSU!"

Yamato's team yelled as the bombs erupted around them, throwing them off their feet. Chihiro landed flat on her back and opened her eyes to see clay birds fluttering about. She widened her eyes slowly as one lowered itself in front of her face…

**xXx**

Kakashi gritted his teeth against the pain and bent down on his knees once the jutsu was over. His mind swayed from the amount of shock he had received but his will to fight kept himself going.

"You'll never get your Sakura back now!" Miu called out from afar, her voice echoing around them. The silver haired Jonin used his Sharingan to track down the rest of his team and grabbed an unconscious Naruto and barely functioning Sasuke and darting out of the cloud. Sai appeared next to him, looking as bad as the other two.

"How are we supposed to get Sakura's curse mark off?" Sai asked Sasuke who got up to his feet slowly. Kakashi was left to try and wake up the hyperactive ninja, slapping his cheek with his hand. Naruto's eyes shot open and he sat up, holding his head.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and looked at Sakura's chakra flow. It was chaotic. There was a battle within her but the curse mark had taken over, increasing her amount of chakra and changing it into a dark presence. He noticed a small blue tinge next to the seal on her right hand. It seemed as though that part was still fighting against the seal. He noted however that it wouldn't have very long. Which mean they didn't either.

"We need Sakura to fight off the mark's control." Sasuke replied as he glanced at Sai and the others on the team. Kakashi stood up with Naruto and tilted his head to the side. "There's only about a fraction of her true chakra that's fighting."

"So, what do we need to do?" Naruto asked his best friend over his shoulder.

"We need to reach her mind somehow."

"Which means we need to go on the offensive," Kakashi interrupted as he joined the group, making the hand seals for Raikiri. Naruto looked a bit flabbergasted at this but met Sasuke's eyes and understood. Sai didn't like the idea of possibly hurting her, but if it was to bring her back, then he had to try with them.

"Give your best attacks towards her!" Sasuke yelled as he and his team charged as one, Chidori, Raikiri, Rasengan, and Super Beast Scroll, all heading towards Sakura.

Sasuke knew how to reach their friend. He had remembered when he had fought with Naruto when he was bringing him back. It was when they were on the brink of dying did they finally meet in a calming place.

_So in order to talk to Sakura, we'll give it our all! _

Naruto met Sakura first, regretting every second of doing it, but yet having to, using the Rasengan on her. Only about a second away, she moved at an unseen speed and was about a foot away from him, the Rasengan planted deep into the ground, casting off an explosion.

Sasuke came second, using Chidori Nagashi in order to hit her but not too badly. Chidori wrapped around her wrists, the curse mark's chakra seeped into it and caused the chain to snap. Cursing to himself, he demanded himself to be a bit harsher. They _needed _to get to her.

Kakashi, although hating it, was about to plunge his Raikiri into her stomach, not a vital area, when Sakura moved to the side and grabbed his wrist, about to punch him in the stomach. Seeing it with his Sharingan, he maneuvered himself out of the way and switched to taijutsu against her. Shocked that she could hold his own against him, he decided to use one of the many jutsus' he has copied. He leaped into the air with Sakura in his arms and came down, using Rock Lee's Primary Lotus.

He leaped away from her as soon as she hit the ground and watched as Sai flew past him, his beautifully painted tigers roaring as they ran towards the kunoichi. When they hit her straight in the gut, she still held an emotionless face. Sasuke clenched his fist at how beat up Sakura looked but told himself that it was to bring her back.

Naruto came beside him and summoned two Kage Bunshin. They immediately started to form the Wind-Rasen-Shuriken, the screech of the enhanced Rasengan getting louder. Sasuke took a deep breath and formed Chidori once more. He glanced at his best friend and saw that he was ready as well.

"Go Naruto! Sasuke! We'll keep Miu away from her!" Kakashi said as the two started running, both of their jutsus' in hand as they approached the pale Sakura. Kakashi and Sai took off to guard their two comrades, standing in front of Miu who looked furious.

"You bunch of bastards trying to take her away from me. No matter, it won't happen. It won't." She yelled with a nervous laugh, her eyes widening a bit in fear. They slowly looked over at the pair of friends who were about a meter away from Sakura now.

**xXx**

Both yelling, they thrust both of their techniques towards Sakura's body, the screech of Chidori and the Rasen-Shuriken joining together to give off an earsplitting wail. Sakura, now enhanced with incredible strength, grabbed both of their wrists and threw them into the air with a twist of her body.

Sakura's emotionless expression faltered a bit as a look of pain flashed in front of her eyes. The fire that was shown in her eyes grew stronger as they gazed up at her best friends, looking down at her. With no control of her actions, she pulled out a handful of wired shuriken and threw them straight at the two. The two best friends dodged them easily as they exchanged glances at her sudden change in emotion.

"You're here," She whispered as a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. Suddenly, the curse mark pulsed in pain and she narrowed her eyes when she couldn't control it anymore. The face without emotion returned and pulled the wires that were wrapped around her hands.

Naruto and Sasuke glanced back at the sudden returning shuriken and pulled out their kunai's, one a normal one, and the other, a beautifully crafted one. They blocked the rotating shuriken but were slowly descending towards the pink haired kunoichi.

"Sakura, open your eyes and wake up!" Sasuke yelled as Sakura cut off the wire and jumped up to meet them, a kunai in her hand. Naruto and Sasuke came down at lightning speed and clashed weapons, a look of resolve in their eyes.

"You'll only meet your deaths fighting me," She replied monotone voice, separating away from them and leaping back. Naruto took a step forward and yelled with determination at her.

"We won't give up on you Sakura-chan!" The blonde charged forward with Rasengan glowing brightly in the palm of his. Sakura made a hand seal and smacked her hand against the ground.

"Lightning Prison!" Naruto stopped running as a wall of electricity suddenly appeared and outlined the shape of a box. Within seconds, Naruto was locked in a prison. He pounded the Rasengan into it but only caused a powerful wave of electricity to come off. He stood in the middle of the box and wondered about his predicament as Sasuke ran past him, his katana at the ready.

"Everyone here made a promise to bring you back! And we _will!" _Naruto exclaimed from inside his prison, banging his fists against the wall, not caring about the shockwaves that flowed off it and shocked him. Sasuke yelled as he activated his Sharingan and swung his katana upwards, instantly meeting the blade of a kunai.

It was a battle between strength, and as of now, Sasuke had the upper hand. Seeing his teammate falter, he lit Chidori on the blade and met Sakura's red eyes.

"Chidori Nagashi!" Blue streaks wrapped around Sakura and shocked her, but yet, she still held an emotionless look in her eye.

"Sakura, snap out of it!" The Uchiha snapped as he pulled back, jumping away from her.

"Why don't you all just leave?" She asked bluntly, tilting her head to the side with a blank expression. Sasuke _knew _that that wasn't her speaking and gritted his teeth, activating his curse mark. If he was to get serious; he'd use everything he's has.

"Because we're your teammates!" He retorted as he flew into the sky, and lit his hand up with Chidori.

"Chidori Senbon!" With a swipe of his hand, dozens of senbon flew out of his hand and headed straight for Sakura. She narrowed her eyes and leaped back, either dodging or rolling out of the way.

"Oi! Sasuke! Get me out of here!" Naruto yelled angrily as he raised a fist to his friend. The Uchiha flew down to his friend and frowned for a moment before leaping back and making the hand signs of a technique he had known since he was a child.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" With that, a large fireball came hurtling towards a freaking out Naruto. He ducked into the corner as much as possible but blinked in confusion as the fireball crashed into the prison, the effects of the prison soon wearing off till it disappeared completely.

As the smoke cleared, Naruto decided that it was his turn and dashed towards Sakura. He summoned a mass of his clones and went off, using taijutsu against the kunoichi.

"Sakura-chan, no matter what, we'll bring you back!" Naruto yelled as his clones were taken out by her extreme punches. Soon he was the only one left standing, smoke surrounding him from the clones. Suddenly, Miu appeared next to her with a scornful smirk on her lips.

"Please, like I said, she can't hear you anymore. Her mind has been taken over by the curse mark."

"Not all of it." Sasuke said behind her, plunging his Chidori lit katana into her heart. She froze as it came out the other side. However, her shoulders shook as she glanced back at the Uchiha.

"She'll soon just become a dead puppet. That curse mark is eating away at her at this very moment." Miu said before the clone exploded, white smoke rising up. The Uchiha glanced over to the side to see Miu grinning as she met his gaze, dodging the attacks that Kakashi and Sai threw at her.

There was a small hiss and the two best friends turned their heads to see Sakura holding the side of her head in her hand, a look of struggle on her face. Naruto widened his eyes in surprise as he witnessed his friend fight back against the curse mark.

"T-there's…no way….out of this…" She whispered through gritted teeth, meeting both of her teammates' eyes. Sasuke started towards her but she thrust a hand out to stop him.

"Don't come close to me…or who knows…what I'll do…." She said as she clenched her fist, lowering her arm. It took so much effort just to be able to talk with them.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto hesitantly whispered as he stood only a few feet away from her, his blue eyes filled with worry. Here was his teammate, fighting off a difficult battle inside her and he could do nothing to help her.

"Whatever your planning to do…it won't work...Sasuke, this curse mark is-" She stopped talking as an excruciating wave of pain came over her. She closed her eyes and clenched her fist even tighter, trying not to give in.

"I'll only ask…this once…save…me." Her head lowered suddenly and that was when Naruto and Sasuke knew. Sakura's hand dropped from her hand and she went down on her knees, instantly smashing her fist into the ground. The two male teammates leaped back from the multiple cracks the tremor created and landed far away from her.

"Sasuke, what should we do?" The Uchiha stayed quiet as he tried to answer, coming up with no solutions. However he had _one _idea.

"We need Neji."

**xXx**

Chihiro groaned from the pain in her side but was incredibly grateful that Lee had saved her from exploding, moving quickly he managed to drag her from under the bomb and hurl her far enough to hit the trunk of a tree.

Everyone managed to make it out alive, but with scratches and bruises upon them. Chihiro stood up, clutching her side as she made her way over to the others.

"How do you suppose we defeat him?" She asked as she glanced over at Yamato.

"I suggest that we use all our greatest attacks on him. Just like before. When I had used my Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms, he was stumbling. If we manage to hit him with everything we've got, he's sure to go down, or at least momentarily," Neji suggested as he looked for Yamato's approval.

The member of ANBU contemplated it for a moment but then nodded. He cleared his throat and met Deidara's gaze. The man looked completely pissed off as he glared at the others.

"Alright, he needs to get off that bird first. Chihiro, can you handle that?" The said kunoichi nodded and caught sight of the bird's wings. _As long as I cut both of them off, we'll win. _

"Okay, and once the bird's down, Kiba, bring him down quickly."

"Right," He replied as Akamaru barked with a wag of his tail.

"Once he's on the ground, I'll bind him and Neji, Lee, you can start attacking him then. Chihiro, Kiba, once you finish your task, join Neji and Lee, and we'll defeat this guy together." Yamato instructed as he glanced at all of them.

"Okay, everyone!" They all tensed up as they waited for his signal.

"What's this?" Deidara murmured to himself as he saw them talking. He was about to send out more bombs when he realized he was low on clay bomb. Cursing silently, he glared at his opponents below and tried to think of a way out of this.

"Let's go!" They took off running and Yamato stopped as the others flew past him, waiting for his cue. Neji and Lee stood side by side, waiting for their target to come down. Kiba was right behind Chihiro as she pulled out her sword and dragged her forefinger across the blade.

"Immortal Valor!" She called out as she jumped into the air. Realizing that she was not high enough, Kiba got a lift from Akamaru and gave Chihiro an extra push with his hands that were under her feet.

Flying at an incredible speed, she spotted the wing and flipped in the air, slicing the wing of the clay bird quickly. The area she had slashed soon turned to ice and shattered from the weight, falling to the ground below. Landing on the body of the half winged bird, she summoned her chakra to the soles of her feet and shot past a pissed off looking Deidara to attack the other wing. She made the slash and was about to come down when something hard smacked her in the back, causing her to fall off of the bird.

Turning around in mid-air, she caught the Akatsuki member's sly smirk and widened her eyes in realization. She reached behind her and touched the clay that was attached to her back. She grasped it in her hand and chucked it in front of her just as Deidara said, "Katsu!" Shielding herself from the explosion, she descended from the sky at an alarming rate with a blackened and burnt hand.

"Kiba, go!" Neji said as he ran after Chihiro, jumping up to catch her easily. Kiba nodded and summoned his chakra to his feet, and leaped to the sky, appearing behind Deidara. Before the guy could turn, Kiba shoved him off the bird, jumping off and using Fang over Fang on him.

Tumbling against the ground, Deidara picked himself up quickly, about to make the falling bird above him explode, when the wooden bindings wrapped around him again, this time completely restricting his movements.

"Agh, damn brats!" He yelled as Lee went ahead. He opened the Gate of Joy and practically beat the guy to a bloody pulp. Once that was over, Yamato watched as Neji appeared in front of Deidara and released the bonds.

Before Deidara could strangle the Hyuga and make him explode, Neji bent down into the stance to carry out the final blow.

"Eight Trigrams: One Hundred and Twenty Eight Palms!" Moving at lightning speed, Neji blocked all of the Akatsuki member's tenketsu and finished it off with Kaiten. Deidara, now immobilized made a face as he fell to the ground. Yamato appeared beside him and looked down at Deidara, a curious look in his eyes. Then he put his hands together and slightly smirked.

"Wood Style: Immortal Prison!"

A wooden prison appeared out of nowhere and trapped the immobilized Deidara inside. He started cursing out of anger as the team started to head towards Kakashi's fight.

They moved quickly and spotted Sakura and her teammates fighting each other as Kakashi and Sai fought against Miu. They dashed into the clearing and met Kakashi's gaze. Yamato was about to instruct something when Sasuke rushed over and looked at Neji.

"What is it, Uchiha?" He asked with narrowed eyes. Sasuke glanced back at Naruto who nodded insistently and frowned slightly.

"…we need your help." Sasuke quietly replied, meeting the Byakugan defiantly. Neji glanced over at Sakura, who was getting dangerously close to her Level 2 form, and understood.

"Alright, tell me what you need." Neji said as he and Sasuke ran back over to the fight with Sakura. Yamato turned back to the rest of the team and nodded.

"Alright, Lee, come help to assist Kakashi-sempai with his fight. Chihiro, Kiba, you help here." Yamato said before he and Lee dashed away. Kiba and Chihiro exchanged glances before leaping over to an exasperated Neji.

"You're telling me you want be to use Sixty-Four Palms on your _teammate_?"

"That's _exactly _what I'm trying to say."

**xXx**

**Author's Note: **Hi guys, um I'm sorry about the update earlier but after reading over it a few times, I realized that there wasn't enough drama (and with some help from a fellow reviewer) I decided to add more to it. So, hopefully there's enough drama and action and such. I hoped you liked it! You'll get to Miu's battle next!

Please leave a review for me!


	15. Chapter 14: Treasure

**Author's Note: **Hi to all! I hope the title to the story is much better now! Now, go and enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 14: Treasure

**xXx**

Although the idea was smart, and wouldn't cause too much harm to her, Neji disliked it. He didn't like the idea of using his own move against a teammate, especially one that he respected deeply, and could possibly beat him to a pulp. He looked at Sakura through his Byakugan and saw exactly what Sasuke had earlier, a little blue tinge on her right hand; a sign that she was trying to resist.

"So, can you do it?" Naruto asked as he bounded over, an anxious look in his blue eyes.

"Of course, I just don't like the idea." Neji retorted strictly as he glanced at Kiba with a reluctant gaze. The animal specialist came up next to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Neji, just go ahead and do it!" He attempted to encourage, smacking him on the shoulder.

"It's the only way to bring her back without her attacking us under Miu's orders." Sasuke explained as Neji positioned himself, planning carefully in case things went awry. The Hyuga nodded and gestured for everyone to move back with a bold stare.

The prodigy turned to look at a waiting Sakura, a kunai held delicately by her fingertips. She stared at him with a blank red eyed gaze before bending down on her knees and dashing forth. Neji ran the same time she did and activated his bloodline limit, ready.

Sakura's kunai never made contact for Neji ducked under her arm with lightning speed and slammed his hand into her stomach, shoving her back. Instantly, he took his stance, about to carry out the Sixty Eight Palms when the ground shook, a large crack making its way for him. The Hyuga leaped into the air and landed away from the Fifth Hokage's apprentice.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

**xXx**

When reinforcements from Team Yamato arrived, Kakashi let out a small sigh of relief. In all honesty, Miu was getting on his nerves, managing to evade the most dangerous attacks that he and Sai have played out. Yamato landed by his side and gave him an amused glance.

"I'm a bit late aren't I?" He asked with a chuckle, putting a hand behind his head. Kakashi grinned and dashed forward, blocking the handful of kunai with his shuriken.

"Just a bit! Sai, fill him in!" He replied as he flipped through the air and appeared behind Miu, beginning to use Taijutsu against her.

"Yes, sir!" Sai said as he flew over to the wood user. He landed next to him and immediately told him of Miu's attacks and what her weak points were based off of what he had gathered fighting with her. Yamato took this all in quietly, formulating a plan.

"All we need to do is to bring Sakura-san back right? Do we need to defeat this Miu as well?" Lee asked as he observed the intense fight between the son of the White Fang and the apprentice of a Legendary Sannin.

"No, I don't think so, but we have to keep her away from Sakura." Yamato replied as he put his hands together for an Earth seal. "Go, I'll provide back-up from here." The two ninjas nodded and immediately joined the fight, assisting their fellow silver haired Jounin out.

Kakashi leaped back as Lee took over, opening the Gate of Opening and used the Front Lotus immediately, an explosion coming from where the two fell. Lee got up to his feet and spun on his heel, the side of his foot coming in contact with Miu's arm. She smirked and moved quickly, drawing back and sending a punch Rock Lee's way. He dodged it with ease and kicked up at her, only to have his other foot kicked out from under him.

Using his hands, he balanced himself and flipped on to his feet, clenching his fists. He whirled around and dropped under her punch, kicking out with both of his feet and making contact with her stomach. As she flew back, Lee did a back flip to get back up on his feet and grinned as Sai came down from the sky at an intense speed. With his beautifully painted phoenix's flanking him, he jumped off his bird and pulled out his sword, bringing it down as he descended on the teenage girl.

Metal clashed against metal as Miu frowned up at him, the kunai she was holding broken into pieces. Sai's destroyed pieces of his sword flew in slow motion around the two as he jumped back away from the attack that was to come. Kakashi, running with a sudden burst of speed, held Chidori in his hand as he approached Miu who was currently distracted from Sai.

When he was about to plunge it into her heart, she whirled around and grinned, her eyes a bright yellow as the curse mark activated to Level 2. Miu was gone in an instant, flying up in the air with a smirk on her face.

"As if you could catch me _that _easily old man," She slyly said, throwing a bunch of kunais with paper bombs attached down at the team.

"Sai!" Kakashi called as the ANBU member understood. The artist jumped on to his bird and flew high up into the sky, heading for Miu.

Miu flipped out of the phoenix's way as Sai flew high above her. He disappeared into the clouds, the phoenix's wings showing ever so often. In order to provide some help, Yamato used his Earth Style to make spears appear under Miu.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Kakashi appeared above her, Chidori in his hand. Thinking hastily, Miu blocked herself with her wing, Chidori running through it. Kakashi widened his eyes at her decision as he pulled back and landed on Sai's phoenix. Miu fell hard on the ground and stood up, clutching her injured wing.

"Hm, I'll admit...you guys are strong, but you won't be able to stop us from destroying your village. I'll be back for her." Miu said with a smirk as she deactivated her curse mark, her eyes returning to normal. She glanced over at Sakura and saw Neji about to go for the blow.

"You'd better hurry, or else she's going to get hurt for no reason." She gave all of them an amused glance as she made a seal. Then instantly after; she began to disappear, her form beginning to burn slowly to a crisp. Kakashi looked over at his former student and suddenly realized what she meant. He saw Neji running quickly, his Byakugan activated. Everyone else seemed to notice this as well for they were already sprinting over there.

"NEJI, MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND, STOP!" Lee yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran towards him, hand outstretched.

Neji, about a second away from beginning his Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms stopped instantly. He saw the curse mark's flames begin to recede as her pale skin returned to normal. Her red eyes faded to the emerald green as she gathered her surroundings.

"We came here to bring you back, Sakura." Neji quietly said as she met his white eyes silently. Yamato, Lee, Sai, and Kakashi landed quietly behind him, an anxious look on their faces. Sasuke, Naruto, Chihiro, and Kiba joined the semi circle that was formed, waiting for their comrade to say something.

"I'm glad you came." She said with a smile before she closed her eyes and fell to her knees. Sasuke dashed forward to catch her, picking her up bridal style. He turned to the others to see them all grinning with relief.

"Let's go guys!" Naruto energetically said as he jumped in the air, his eyes bright once more. Everyone cheered in unison as they laughed, glad they could get their teammate back. Sasuke looked down at Sakura to see her staring up at him.

"Took you long enough," She hoarsely whispered, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"Didn't think I'd come?" Sasuke retorted, a smirk on his lips.

"You and Naruto never gave up huh?" She asked with a weak smile, leaning her head against his chest.

The Uchiha kept quiet, walking in the back of the group. Yamato went to go check on the other Akatsuki user, leaving the group to the command of Kakashi.

Sakura looked at the sky above her the sunlight shining down lighting up her face. She turned her head and spotted silver hair and a red earring.

"Chihiro?" She quietly said, gaining the girl's attention. The silver haired girl widened her eyes as she saw her friend and leaped back over to her.

"You're alright!" She greeted in a relieved voice.

"More or less, what're you doing here?" Sakura asked as she tilted her head to the side.

"I came here to bring you back, along with your other teammates. Haru noticed your chakra presence and decided to go alert your village, running into this team here." Chihiro explained as she gestured to the people in front of her.

"Anyways, I have to leave soon. But I'll visit sometime okay?" She added as she waved to her friend. Sakura nodded before Chihiro dashed off to the front of the line to tell Kakashi. She could see Naruto and Sai engaging in a conversation as well as Neji, Lee and Kiba.

"Hey," Sakura looked up to see Sasuke taking something out of his pocket. He set her down on the branch gently and handed it to her; the painted kunai.

"You still have this?" She asked as they took off again, still at the back of the group. Sakura gathered as much as chakra as she could while Sasuke was carrying her so the chakra she was using up should be enough once they stop.

"You gave it to me before…" Sasuke trailed off as he saw her expressions change from a mixed confusion to an understanding.

"I see," She replied as she ran her finger along the edge, the paint chipped.

"Alright everyone, we'll stop here for the night. Sai, send a message to the Hokage and tell her that we're returning." Kakashi instructed as the rest of the team collapsed down on the ground from exhaustion. Sakura flopped down next to a tree and rested her head against her knees. Her mind was still a bit hazy from being controlled for so long.

"Hey Sakura-chan, are you feeling better?" Naruto asked as he sat down next to her.

"I'm alright," She replied, her voice muffled.

"Just sit back, we'll take care of things for you!" The blonde ninja cheerfully said as he put a hand on her shoulder. Sakura looked up and smiled up at him gratefully.

"Thanks, Naruto."

Said ninja grinned and gave her a thumbs up before wandering over to Kakashi, asking what he should do. Sakura rested her head against the tree trunk and looked up at the sky, the stars shining brightly. She gazed at all of her teammates, happy that she was back with them, but a bit worried at the same time. Worry for them that they might all die because of her. The pink headed kunoichi closed her eyes as her curse mark throbbed painfully. She remembered the words that were said to her before it sealed.

"_Sakura, it may be sealed for now, but when you're in Konoha you better watch your back. I have the power to activate your curse mark at any time, so you should watch who you're next to, seeing as you'll kill them. Remember, _you'll _be the one who will destroy Konoha, only you." _

As of this moment, her whole state of mind was messed up, filled with worry and fear. She didn't want to be the cause for them to all die. And the curse mark was getting stronger, eating her mind away every time it was activated. She figured that by the time Miu activates it inside the village; her will to fight back will be gone. She had to warn them. She had to warn her Master about this.

If she didn't, the whole village would be destroyed, at her own hand.

**xXx**

Shizune stood outside Tsunade-sama's door with the most wonderful news. She knocked on the door, only to have a bottle of sake crash against it on the other side.

"WHAT IS IT?" Shizune winced at the Fifth Hokage's loud scream. She pushed open the door and ducked as another bottle came flying over her head. She loved Tsunade-sama and enjoyed being her assistant-sometimes- but at times, things like this were something that just made her realize how big of a drinker Tsunade-sama could be.

"I have a message for you from Sai." She said as she handed the scroll to the barely functioning Hokage. Shizune picked up Tonton hugged the pig to her chest, awaiting her orders.

Tsunade pulled open the scroll and tried to compose herself as she read its contents, her furrowed eyebrows soon relaxing as she finished it. She looked up at her assistant with a smile and nodded.

"Go and wait for them at the front gates. Tell them I want to see Kakashi immediately for his report." She ordered as she picked up her paintbrush and continued paperwork. Shizune nodded and made her way out of the office, glad that the team was making it back safely.

**xXx**

Sakura managed a relieved smile as the team walked through the main gates together. Sasuke and Naruto flanked her as they came to a stop. Shizune rushed up to greet them and told Kakashi to see Tsunade-sama immediately. Sakura realized that this may be the only time to tell her. She took a step forward, ready to follow after the two when her curse mark suddenly felt like fiery ice.

She fell on one knee, clutching her shoulder as she tried not to scream in pain. Instantly, panicked voices filled the air and she spotted Shizune and Kakashi making their way back over.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?"

"Sakura!"

"Sakura, hang in there!"

"Is it the curse mark?"

All these questions were asked all together, the team's voices mixing in with each other. Sakura tried to catch her breath as Shizune crouched in front of her, lifting the hand that was covering the curse mark. The pink haired kunoichi caught the look of terror on her face as she met her gaze.

"We need to heal you immediately!" She exclaimed as she brought Sakura up to her feet. No, she needed to talk to her Master first!

"I ca-!" Shizune took her shoulders and pushed her forward, away from her worried teammates. Kakashi followed quietly from behind, a flicker of worry passing through his single eye.

"No excuses!"

"But I-!"

"No Sakura!" Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and stomped her feet into the ground, stopping Shizune from moving. She hated when she had to use her super strength for things like these.

"I _have _to speak to Tsunade-sama!" She exclaimed as she whirled around to meet Shizune's gaze. They held each other's stares for a moment before Shizune shook her head slightly.

"I can't Sakura, you need to be-"

"I think she should see her. I'll be with her anyways Shizune, so if anything goes wrong, I can get her to the hospital immediately, or the Fifth Hokage can perform her healing ninjutsu straight in her office." Kakashi interrupted as he came up behind the two, a firm look in his gray eye. Shizune looked like she was going to retort but she shut her mouth and nodded.

"This way," She quietly said as she led the two up to the Hokage's office. Sakura gripped her shoulder in pain as she tried to keep a passive expression on her face, clenching her fist. Kakashi glanced down at her worriedly as she a bead of sweat rolled down the side of face. _That curse mark must really be something, _he thought to himself as they reached the Hokage's office. Shizune knocked and let herself in, allowing the others to enter before shutting the door.

Sakura inhaled sharply as she realized this was the moment to warn everyone. To warn everyone that she would possibly kill them all. Kakashi stood to the right and Sakura to the left, the grip on her shoulder tightening as the burning numbed her entire arm.

"Sakura, I didn't call for you. Is there something you needed?" Her Master asked with a confused look in her eye. Sakura could tell that she was happy that she was back and alive. Now she wasn't so sure of how she would react once she told her the news.

"Yes, it's important." She replied quietly as her voice cracked a little. Tsunade raised her eyebrows at this statement and crossed her arms over her chest.

"More important than Kakashi's report?" She asked as she glanced over to the waiting Jounin. Sakura looked over at her former sensei and noticed how exhausted he was. Perhaps she could wait until after he was finished.

"He can go ahead with his report, Tsunade-sama." Sakura said in the same tone, moving to the side to lean against the wall, trying to get her mind off of the pain. Kakashi gave her a wavering gaze before shaking it off and directing his attention to the Hokage. When Sakura had said this, Tsunade had noticed how strange her chakra was acting; it was putting a lot of pressure into the room, mixed in with her emotions. Kakashi seemed to notice this as well, as he went into his report about the mission.

Something was bothering Sakura.

A couple minutes later, Kakashi finished his report and stepped to the side, ready to leave when Sakura called out his name. He turned around, a surprised look in his eye and tilted his head to the side in confusion. She gave him an exhausted gaze as she lowered her arm from her shoulder.

"I think….you should stay here to hear this." She hesitantly said, holding his curious gaze for a moment before turning to her Master. Tsunade was now getting a bit worried of the news. Just what was so important? Kakashi wanted to know this as well as he leaned against the wall next to the door, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Go ahead Sakura," Tsunade said in a serious tone, waiting. Sakura closed her eyes and breathed for a second, shoving aside the pain, ready to give the news.

"This curse mark is going to make me destroy the village." Tsunade and Kakashi widened their eyes at this and straightened up as the pink haired kunoichi swallowed out of nervousness.

"What do you mean Sakura?" The Hokage asked, her tone dead serious. Sakura gave her Master a panicky filled gaze as she continued.

"Miu, Orochimaru's apprentice and the one who gave me this curse mark, has the power to activate it at any time. This is no regular curse mark; this one has the power to control people, to control _me, _Master. And she's going to use _me _to destroy the village." Sakura finished with trembling hands. She clenched them together in order for them to stop, but now her entire body felt numb with the fear.

Kakashi took in this news quietly, wondering what the Hokage would to do protect her village, as well as keep her apprentice safe. Tsunade breathed deeply as she thought of something to say in return. This truly _was _a predicament.

"Has anyone attempted to seal it?" She asked, her eyes narrowing. Sakura recalled the time Anko had placed those three seals on it. Yet, it didn't turn out so well.

"Yes, but it didn't work. Anko had used the Three Almighty Seals and yet Miu was still able to gain control over me and unseal the curse mark." She replied as she pushed back her sleeve to show the seal markings on her arm that formed the half shaped crest on her back. Tsunade-sama furrowed her eyebrows at this and balanced her chin on top of her intertwined hands.

"I could try using Fuuja Houin (Evil Sealing Method) like I had on Sasuke." Kakashi suggested as he took a step forward, wanting to help his former student somehow. The Hokage sighed heavily as she leaned back in her chair, looking at her apprentice with a strict glare.

"That won't work either since Anko has already used one of the most powerful seals."

"Isn't there anything else we do?" The silver Jounin asked as he stepped up next to a quiet Sakura.

"As much as I hate to this to my own apprentice, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do but to lock you away from harming this village." Sakura jolted in shock at this statement, her eyes widening. Kakashi did the same, completely astonished by what their Hokage just decided to say.

"But that's-!"

"I know that it is wrong, but what other choice do we have Kakashi! The seals are pointless if someone can control the curse mark at will! If we were to have Sakura wandering around the streets and the seal be activated, everyone in this village would die! I would give up my life than to see this village be completely destroyed!" Tsunade yelled as she stood up from her chair, smacking her hands on the table in anger. Kakashi stopped talking and lowered his gaze, a flame of anger rising within him. There was nothing they could do.

"Sakura, I know this is too much to ask of you but-" Sakura looked up at her Master with an accepting look in her eyes.

"I understand. I would do the same if I were in your position." She said, all the fear within her gone. In its place was a fighting spirit, one that wanted to protect the village from the harm that would come from her. No matter what, she would try to fight against the curse mark. Kakashi looked at his student, taking in her decision.

"Thank you, Sakura," She softly replied before she looked to Kakashi with a serious gleam in her eye.

"Kakashi, you _must _be here when I call for you. I will call Asuma, Kurenai, and Guy at midnight tonight to take Sakura up into the mountains away from the village and into a cabin we'll set up over there. I will also call for Yamato to join you to restrain her if she attacks. The four of you will be placing the seal that will place a powerful barrier over the cabin when Miu decides to use the curse mark." Tsunade looked over at her apprentice with a sad look in her eyes.

"Sakura, you must not let anyone know that you are leaving, if they are wondering where you're going, make sure to come up with a valid excuse, if they follow you up into the mountains, Kakashi and the others will handle it. The top priority of this is to _not let anyone know." _The Hokage ordered in a strict voice, seeing the pink haired kunoichi stiffen at her statement.

"Yes, ma'am!" She firmly said, her hands placed by her sides.

"We will protect this village at all costs." She stated as she balled her fists together on her desk.

"Kakashi, Sakura, get moving!" The two Jounin nodded and quickly exited the room, shutting the door behind them. When the two had left, Tsunade turned around and gazed out at the beautiful village that was her teacher's treasure. She narrowed her eyes as the memories of Orochimaru invading the village years before came back.

"I will protect this village." She quietly said, clenching her fists by her sides.

**xXx**

"Sakura, are you really alright with this?" Kakashi asked quietly as they sat down for some tea. Sakura had been quiet ever since they came out of the Hokage's office. He noticed that it was still bright out, and yet the light in Sakura's eyes seemed to be dying.

"If it's to help protect the village, I'm willing to do it." Sakura replied as she held the cup of tea in her hand, looking at her reflection.

"You know how the others will react once they realize what's going on." Sakura narrowed her eyes as set down her cup, clenching her hands together.

"They won't." Kakashi raised an eyebrow at this and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"And what if they do?"

"Then they'll realize what I wanted through this decision. I want to protect Konoha, and if it means possibly sacrificing my life, then so be it." Sakura stated quietly as she ignored the throbbing pain in her shoulders.

"If you break the barrier around the cabin and attack the village, and make it out alive, the Council _will _interrogate you for this." The silver haired Jounin added in a low voice, keeping his gaze down.

"I know," Sakura replied softly, ready to take on anything.

"Sakura, when you break out of that cabin, us Jounin, and the others will do everything we can to stop you but just remember, that we'll bring you back in the end." The pink haired teen nodded and looked at her former sensei in the eye.

"You need to destroy Miu, I'm sure if you kill her, then her control will stop." Kakashi smiled slightly, his mask crinkling as he grinned.

"That's what Naruto and Sasuke will do." Sakura managed a small grin before she sipped her tea.

"I know."

Right then and there, Sakura knew that things were going to get even more complicated than ever.

**xXx**

**Author's Note: **Well, things are going smoothly I hope? Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!

Review?


	16. Chapter 15: Willpower

Chapter 15: Willpower

**xXx**

The pink haired kunoichi took a deep breath as she zipped her pouch up, filled with all her weapons. She only wished that her comrades wouldn't notice her disappearance for a while. Sakura checked all of her items and made sure she was ready when she glanced at the clock. 11:48pm. she figured it was time to leave.

Shutting the door behind her, she tucked her key in her pocket and glanced around warily, making sure no one can spot her. It was quiet outside, giving her the sign that mostly everyone in the village was asleep. She leaped up into the air and landed on top of a nearby roof, glancing over her shoulder now and then as a precaution.

She glanced up at the Hokage tower's windows and spotted that there were already a couple people in there, the lights shining brightly from inside. Picking up the pace, she landed in front of the entrance to the tower and brushed the dust from her skirt, heading up the stairs.

Stepping into her Master's office, she saw that Guy, Kurenai, and Asuma were already there. No Kakashi. She assumed that Tsunade told them about her predicament. Suppressing a sigh, she came up beside the three Jounin and gave the Fifth Hokage a glance. Tsunade simply replied back with a shrug, her eyes wandering over to the clock.

"He better be here," She muttered under her breath, ready to beat the living shit out of him if he didn't come. Suddenly there was puff of smoke next to Sakura who had raised her arms up to protect her face. As the smoke cleared, Sakura opened her eyes to see her former sensei standing there with that usual grin on his face.

"Yo."

"Ah, Kakashi my eternal rival you finally made it on time!" Guy energetically greeted, putting his fist in the air. Kurenai and Asuma both visibly sagged as their fellow Jounin went off on his rants. Sakura glanced over at Kakashi to see him rolling his eye at Guy's forever speeches about youth.

"Okay!" Immediately, Guy's rant ceased and everyone came to the Hokage's attention. They all stood up straight with their hands by their sides.

"We're a bit early but that's fine, the sooner the better. Now, Sakura, I want you to fight against the control as much as you can alright? We will all protect this village together. As soon as you all leave I will call all the other Jounins to help assist in guarding the village from Miu if she comes-which she will. Yamato should be at the mountain by now so you should go now. Good luck to you all." Tsunade explained as they all replied, "Hai," and stepped out of the office.

Sakura remained quiet as the four Jounin surrounding her followed her out of the Hokage tower. It was going to start soon. She clenched her fists and reminded herself that she needed to be strong, for the sake of the village. She vowed to herself that she wasn't going to be taken over by the curse mark. She'll do her best to fight it. To protect the ones she cared for.

"Sakura, do your best." Asuma quietly said to her right, giving her a glance as he lit a cigarette in his mouth. The pink haired kunoichi nodded silently as she felt Kurenai's gaze on her as well.

_She's grown, _the red eyed Jounin thought as she noticed how the teen picked herself up, how she radiated with a new courage, one that she didn't have back then. They were about to make their way out of the village when she heard someone call her name. She whirled around, stopping everyone else in their tracks.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Guy asked as he looked into the distance, scanning for any signs of someone following them.

"I thought I heard-"

"Sakura-san!" She jolted at the sound of his voice, and instantly, the other four Jounin moved closer to her, a serious look on all their faces. Guy moved to the front of group and stopped the running Lee telling him something quietly.

Sakura looked down at her feet, trying not to meet Lee's confused gaze. She wouldn't know what to say if he asked her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head to see Kakashi with a solemn look in his eye. She moved to the back of the group as Lee's protesting voice resounded in her ears.

"But Guy-sensei, why is she leaving with you? It's late out." Lee asked in that voice of his, making the green spandex Jounin stiffen slightly.

"Ah that Lee is confidential. But we'll be back before you know it!" He said before giving him a thumbs up. Sakura knew that Lee was now suspicious; there was a wavering look in his eyes as they finally met her own.

"Okay, Guy-sensei." He softly said as his teacher joined the group of Jounin's once more. The five of them left the village quietly, Lee's figure slowly becoming smaller as they leaped into the trees. They were heading towards the mountain.

"Sakura, are you-"

"I'm fine, Kurenai-sensei. Don't worry about me." She interrupted as she gave her a small smile.

"They'll be alright," Kurenai replied as they increased their pace. Sakura nodded and merged into the middle of the circle of Jounin's, guarded at all sides.

They all soon came to a stop at a large clearing where Yamato was already standing, a cabin built behind him. He saw Sakura and smiled as they approached, glad to see that they were alright. They all knew how Sakura felt, how much pressure was placed upon her at this moment.

"Alright, let's head inside and we'll start the barrier soon." Yamato instructed as he opened the door for all of them.

Sakura sat down in a chair next to a table and thought to herself, wondering exactly how things were going to play out. Kakashi gave her a concerned glance but she shook her head, giving him a sign not to worry about her. She'll be fine, hopefully.

"So, is anyone going to be staying here to watch over me?" She asked as she stood up, giving all of them a curious look. Kakashi put a hand to his chin and hummed to himself, thinking.

"I think that was Yamato," He replied as he gestured to the wood user to the side. Sakura nodded and sat down on the bed, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Okay, let's get the barrier started." Yamato said as they all stepped out of the cabin, shutting the door behind them. Once they all left, Sakura sighed and lay down on the bed, her hands behind her head as she looked at the ceiling.

_Hopefully no one in village suffers any harm. I'll do my best to fend off the curse mark, but if I lose, it'll be all up to my friends to stop me._ She thought to herself as she closed her eyes, the crescent curse mark throbbing painfully. She could tell that it was almost time.

Suddenly, all the sound around her muffled and she widened her eyes as she felt the presence of the barrier surround itself around the cabin. _Just how long was this going to last? _Someone _has to keep it going. _

The Jounin then came back into the cabin quietly and grabbed their things as they prepared to head back to the village. Sakura watched as the expressions on their faces were filled with apprehension and anticipation. This certainly wasn't going to be a good time for all of them.

"Sakura, when we get back to the village, Tsunade should've been able to tell the news to everyone so they'll be on the lookout for Miu. We put our trust in them that they will not approach you in case the curse mark reacts." Kakashi said as he neared her lying figure, a sad look in his eye. He didn't want to put his former student in danger but, this was her choice. The pink haired kunoichi nodded and sat up as they all were about to leave.

"Good luck," She softly said as they all nodded in return, heading out the door. Kakashi gave her one final glance and put a hand on her shoulder before dashing out as well. Yamato stepped into the cabin and shut the door behind him, placing a seal. He sat down in the chair where she sat before and sighed in exhaustion, putting his head in his hands.

"Things are going to get tougher from here on out." He said to her, knowing that for a fact.

"Yes," She replied quietly as she shut her eyes, trying to get some sleep. She would need all the rest she can get if the curse mark were to react soon.

Little did she know that this would become one of the darkest days of her life.

**xXx**

"Why? Why would you do that Tsunade-baachan?" Naruto exclaimed as he stood in front of the Hokage, his friends surrounding him with the same emotion that filled his whole being.

"So that is why they were leaving," Lee vaguely muttered, his eyes downcast. The blonde caught this and whirled around, taking him by the shoulders.

"Lee, what do you know? What did you see?" He asked, shaking him with worried eyes.

"I saw Sakura-san leaving with the other Jounins. She did not look too happy, but she was determined." Rock Lee replied, nodding as Naruto released him, a look of shock displayed all over his face.

"Naruto, calm down, Sakura's in safe hands." Tsunade reassured with a distant look in her eye. Sasuke clenched his fists silently as he looked down at the ground, his eyes displaying an emotion not seen in a while.

_Why did she have to go alone? We were right here, where we could help! Just what was she thinking, going off by herself! _He thought to himself as the Hokage continued you explain what was going to happen. _Just what would she earn giving her life away? That curse mark is so _close _to taking over her entire being! _

"You all must find a way to defeat Miu. I think that because she is controlling Sakura, everything will stop if you defeat her." She said to all of them, a determined look in her eyes.

"If you all work together, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. The other Jounin and Chuunin will help defend the village. Now, go!" She exclaimed as she thrust her hand forth, making all of them jump.

"Hai!" All of them said in unison before making their way out of her office.

"Oi, Naruto," Sasuke said as he fell behind, stopping as the others went ahead of him.

"What is it?" Naruto asked as he turned around, a hand behind his head. Sasuke kept his head lowered as he clenched his fists once more.

"Will she be alright, do you think?" He quietly inquired, lifting his eyes to meet his best friend's. At first they just stared but Naruto then burst out laughing, holding his stomach.

"Of course Sasuke! She's _way _different from before, you can tell _that _at least. Although I hate that they did that to her, I'm sure that she had a good reason right?" He asked with a smile on his face. Sasuke frowned and refused to answer, images of the pink haired teen's younger self reappeared in his mind. But then recent images of her smiling and pounding the ground piled itself on top of the old.

"And we're going to go after _her _right?" Sasuke asked as he straightened up to his full height, a new light in his onyx eyes. Naruto grinned and gave him a thumbs up, a bright look in his eyes.

"Yeah! We'll show her what Konoha can do!" He replied as he hooked his arm around Sasuke's neck, walking forward. The sun was slowly rising from the horizon as morning approached. However, Sasuke's thoughts were only thinking about the pink haired girl who was lying on top of a bed deep within the mountains. The only question that wouldn't stop coming to mind was: _Will I see her again? _

The Konoha Twelve were all ready, and anticipating for the attack. But…they just didn't know _when. _

**xXx**

"Orochimaru-sensei, are you going to come with us?" Miu asked as she strapped on her pack for the attack. The snake-like shinobi chuckled but shook his head, putting a hand on top of his apprentice's.

"You go have fun," He said, knowing exactly the outcome of her little 'attack'. He knew that it would fail, but he would be surprised if it didn't. But he knew that there was about a seventy percent chance it would fail. Still, he wanted to see his apprentice's progress. After all, the reason he decided to let her use that pink haired kunoichi as a test subject was to simply improve her technique making skills and become stronger.

As Miu walked off with a sulking Deidara and Hidan by her side, Orochimaru grinned at his new host. His apprentice was just like the other one, a simple host for him to take over. He knew that she wanted power, and she's gotten it, but she just didn't know the price of it.

Miu and the other two Akatuski members stepped out into the setting sun and breathed in the air. She turned to the other two and grinned as she put her hands behind her.

"Ready?" She asked as they gave her hesitant looks.

"I'm not sure I like being with this asshole here,"

"I don't like you,"

Deidara and Hidan simultaneously said with a look of major dislike on their faces. Miu scowled and whacked the two on the head, bumps rising from the top.

"Well deal with it because both of your partners refused to come with you!"

"_We _don't want to be here either!" Deidara yelled as he gestured to him and Hidan with a wave of his hand. Orochimaru's apprentice huffed and turned around as she crossed her arms in front of her.

"Too bad! You're stuck with me!" She said as she walked off, heading for Konoha. Deidara put a hand over his eyes, trying to refrain himself from making the girl blow up into smithereens. Hidan was suppressing every inch of anger he had with the grip he had on his scythe.

"I can't do this…" He muttered under his breath as a sick feeling came over him, shadowing his eyes. Deidara nodded in agreement and watched as the girl disappeared into the shadows.

"Let's not follow her…" The bomb user added with a twitch of his eye.

They both knew how this was going to end and _really _didn't want to be a part of it. Lord Pain was giving them new missions constantly and it was killing them both. So, going out to Konoha was just another waste of time for the both of them.

The two were about to turn around and walk straight back to the underground Headquarters when _his _presence made them both stop in their tracks. They turned their heads slightly and saw his yellow eyes flash dangerously.

"_You will go with her." _He hissed, making the two Akatuski members narrow their eyes.

"No way in hell," Hidan retorted as he was about to make his way back. Some large and white passed in front of him and in a second, a snake was wrapped around the man's arms.

"_I need her back _alive." Orochimaru whispered as Deidara crossed his arms suspiciously.

"What for your body switch technique? You really think she'll agree?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side with a smirk.

"Hey! Let me out of here you bastard!" Hidan yelled as he raised his fist in the air.

"_She _will _agree." _The Sannin replied before disappearing back into the shadows. Hidan huffed in anger as the snake went away and walked over to Deidara who had a calculating look on his face.

"Oi, are we leaving or not?" He asked as he took a step back towards the Headquarters. Deidara grabbed the scruff of his cloak and started walking to where Miu disappeared.

"Dude! You're really going after her?" Hidan asked as he tried to pull away. Deidara glared over at him with a scowl as they walked over a root.

"I don't think she knows exactly what Orochimaru wants. It would really ruin his plans if we told her huh?" He asked with a growing smirk. Hidan raised his eyebrows in curiosity and started walking next to the bomb user.

"Hell yeah it would! I really hate that bastard anyway," He muttered under his breath as he shoved his hands in his cloak pockets.

The two were soon caught up to Miu with a devised plan in mind. This would surely change her mind about a few things.

**T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T**

Sakura opened her eyes when she felt the throbbing pain increase slightly. She sat up in her bed and held her shoulder to see Yamato looking out the window with a serious look on his face. He noticed her moving and turned his head with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" He asked as she got up to her feet and stretched her arms.

"Is it almost time?" She inquired, completely ignoring the question he just brought up.

"I believe so. The sky is darkening and your curse mark still hasn't been activated." Yamato replied as the girl came up beside him, a hand on her shoulder.

"I think that they're approaching. It just suddenly increased in pain just a second ago." Sakura said as she narrowed her eyes, looking out the window.

"Captain Yamato," She quietly uttered, gaining his attention.

"What is it?" He asked as he sat down in the chair. Sakura followed suit and sat across from him, her bangs covering her eyes.

"If…I can't fight against the curse mark, what will you do?" Yamato blinked and thought about it for a moment, knowing that she would ask this at some point.

"I'll do my best to restrain you from leaving."

"And if that doesn't work? What if I hurt you? What if you die?" She asked, worry etched all over her pale face. Yamato gave her a small smile and put a hand on her shoulder.

"If my technique doesn't work then it's up to barrier to keep you in here until I'm able to reach the village and warn them. But don't worry, the others will find Miu and defeat her before you know it." He reassured with a grin, getting Sakura to smile as well.

"There's just all the 'what if's." She mumbled to herself as she sat back in her seat, arms wrapped around her stomach. Yamato stayed quiet as he looked at the kunoichi for a moment. It seemed as though there was a huge weight that was placed upon her shoulders.

"I have another 'what if' question for you," She suddenly said, meeting his eyes. Yamato raised an eyebrow at this and propped his head up with the palm of his hand.

"Okay, go ahead." Sakura bit her lip in thought, wondering what response she'd receive.

"What if…they defeat Miu, the control disappears, and I'm still wreaking havoc?" Yamato's breath hitched in his throat in surprise at her question, not knowing how to answer it. Exactly what _would _happen?

"I-I'm not sure how to answer that Sakura," He replied as he scratched the side of his head with a small smile. Sakura chuckled in return and leaned her head back, staring up at the ceiling.

"I wouldn't either."

Suddenly the throbbing pain in her shoulder turned to the ice fire from before and she jolted in her seat, clutching her shoulder in pain. She fell off the chair and slowly rolled into a ball, trying not to writhe in pain. Yamato caught her in his arms and asked her what was wrong but she shook her head.

Sakura knew it wasn't time; otherwise the flames would've been spreading. What was it then? She wondered to herself as she gritted her teeth in pain, taking in even breaths.

"I think…they're getting closer," She gasped as she glanced over at the window, the sun setting slowly. Yamato looked out the window and back at her, a worried look in his eyes. The ebbed away but the throbbing remained as Sakura hesitantly stood up, dazed.

"Hopefully the others can get to Miu before I do anything horrible." She whispered as she used the table as a support. She clenched her fist and closed her eyes as she tried to push the pain away. Sakura sat down on the bed and put her hands together in a seal, gathering up as much as chakra as she could.

The struggle against the curse mark's control would be her most difficult fight ever.

**T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T**

"W-wait are you saying you believe that he's using your body as a vessel?" Deidara inquired as they neared Konoha, the village's outline coming in the distance. Miu scoffed and turned her head to glare at the blonde.

"I've known all along. But I'm not planning to let him _use _me. I've always wanted to become strong, and being with Orochimaru was the only way. I admire his love for his experimenting, but I don't admire him enough to let him take my own body as his own." She replied as a cold emotion passed through her eyes. Deidara and Hidan exchanged looks and gazed back at her.

"You remind me of someone who goes by the name of Sasuke," Deidara said, catching her attention. Miu stiffened at the mention of the Uchiha's name and glared at him once more.

"Don't mention that failure to me." She growled, clenching her fists. She knew that Orochimaru wanted his body as well, but he refused and walked away, still holding the curse mark on his shoulder. He was a failure. But wasn't that what she was doing too? Walking away from the body switch technique? She lowered her gaze as she realized now wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

She looked up to see Konoha coming closer and grinned, the look of bloodlust obvious in her eyes. She made various hand signs, and cast the seal for the activation of the curse mark.

Now it was up to Sakura for the rest.

**T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T**

Sakura widened her eyes as she felt the curse mark activate itself, sending searing pain throughout her entire body. She muffled out a cry of pain and fell to her knees, clutching the curse mark tightly.

"Captain Yamato…" She said through gritted teeth, her eyes squeezed shut. Yamato instantly saw that the curse mark's flames were slowly spreading and activated his Wood Release. A large cage grew from the wood and entrapped the teen inside, smaller restraints wrapping around her arms and legs for extra precaution.

"If…I break out of this…run…" Sakura managed to get out, her head starting to pound from the chakra that was begging her to use. The curse mark was coaxing her to let herself free and let it take over and do the work for her.

"Right," Yamato replied from the outside, a look of concentration on his face as he kept the jutsu going.

_I'm not going to let you use me anymore! _She shouted in her mind, summoning some of the chakra she had stored to try and repel the curse mark's chakra. Instantly, there was a battle of dominance within her, adding more pain and pressure to her entire system. She ground her teeth together as the dark chakra within her consumed the chakra she had let out, continuing to devour everything in its path.

_I'm not finished yet! Chakra Enhancement! _The rest of the chakra she had collected suddenly burst out from within her, covering half of her that wasn't affected by the mark. The dark chakra responded similarly, the black flames appearing and covering the other half that was covered with its flames.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as the two sides fought against each other, a never ending battle of pain and agony as her own chakra was damaged. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding and gasped for air as the curse mark's flames spread to half of her face. _This is bad! I won't be able to last much longer! C'mon! _

She yelled as she pushed her own chakra to its limit, hoping that the battle would end here. This was a battle between the strength of her will and the persistency of the curse mark. She heard the crack of wood and opened one eye to see Yamato's prison filled with cracks in them. The curse mark's chakra was destroying everything around it! _Dammit! _She cursed as she shut her eyes tightly again and tried focusing her chakra once more.

_Everyone…everyone's on my side! They're all here for me! I _won't _let them down with a simple fight like this! _

"_I won't!" _She yelled out loud, her chakra suddenly bursting with energy. Yamato widened his eyes at what he saw. Her own chakra had built up to a large amount and was now pushing against the curse mark. The curse mark retaliated and pushed back, overpowering Sakura's own. He noticed the look of ferocity on her face and completely admired the sheer will she had. It would take all her will power to not let something like this win her over. _But…_He narrowed his eyes as he saw the black flames cross over to the other half of her face. _This battle was far from over…_

Just who would win in this fight?

**T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T**

Sasuke widened his eyes as he felt something powerful appear. _It was coming from behind…_He whirled around in his spot to see a small dome in the distance. Was that were Sakura was? Was the curse mark activated?

He glanced at his best friend who noticed the change in the air as well and nodded. The Konoha eleven that were standing here on top of the Hokage Tower, they _all _wanted to protect what was important to them.

The Uchiha furrowed his eyebrows when he saw movement on top of the main gates. Neji used his Byakugan to check it out and gritted his teeth when he saw who it was.

"That person standing on top of the main gates is Miu! And it's not just her-there are two more people with her!" He said to everyone just as two more figures appeared beside her, eliminating the two guards that were staring up at them.

The people of Konoha were safely hidden away inside the side of the Hokage's stone carvings so there was no one in the village besides the ninja. The Konoha eleven tensed as they all met eyes with three figures that stood in their way.

"Let's go!" Naruto yelled as they dashed forward, the friends following suit, a determined look on their faces. The four Jounin who taught these teens came up behind them, a fighting aura around the lot of them.

"Bring it _on_ Konoha!" Miu called out as she and her two companions dashed forward as well, poised and ready to attack.

**T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T**

**Author's Note: **Hi guys! Just wanting to let you know that it's my birthday in two days so I thought I should give you this chapter! I worked so hard on it so I hoped you liked it! Sorry about the late-ish update!

Please do leave a review!


	17. Chapter 16: Powerless

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Let's reach maybe 70 reviews this time? Since we're so close to 60 right now, and I seemed to get a lot of reviews lately so I'm hoping that it will somehow increase? Aw, who cares, as long as people out there like this story and enjoy reading it, I'M PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT!

Now, on to the story to bring back the famous pink haired kunoichi!

Chapter 16: Powerless

**xXx**

Sakura felt like she was on fire. Her chakra was almost at its limit and if she gave up now it would be all over. She opened her eyes and saw that the flames were already on the other side of her shoulder. _C'mon! C'mon! _She yelled in her mind, willing for the chakra she had left to keep going. She felt it pulse for a minute or two before it slowly began to shrink. She widened her eyes in astonishment and looked up at Yamato worriedly.

"Get out of here while you can!" She cried out as the flames slowly crept down her arm and on to the seals that were on her hand. Yamato hesitated for a moment but released his jutsu, breaking off the wood that connected him to the prison. He grabbed his pack and gave Sakura one more glance of concern.

"We'll bring you back!" Was the last thing he said before he dashed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He slipped through the barrier just before the cabin exploded into pieces. He looked back to see Sakura kneeling with her head up to the sky, eyes blood red. A dark chakra swirled around her, a tinge of purple mixed within.

Yamato tore his eyes away from the scene and dashed off in the direction of the village, hoping to reach them in time. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as the fading voice of Sakura's bloodlust scream filled the air.

**xXx**

"Is that all you've got?" Miu asked as she clashed weapons with an enraged Naruto. As soon as she leaped away from him, Sasuke flew past his friend and attacked. They all somehow flew into the forest and away from the village.

As soon as they all met weapons, Hidan and Deidara split up and went off to the side facing their own opponents. Miu had Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, and Kakashi to herself as the others fought her two companions.

"You'll pay for doing that to Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled as he came down at her with Rasengan glowing brightly in his hand. Miu gritted her teeth as Sasuke pinned her to the ground with his Chidori Nagashi. She made a seal and drew her weapon, slashing through Chidori and leaping out of the Rasengan's way just in time.

Naruto bared his teeth as his jutsu came in contact with the ground, the explosion knocking everyone off their feet. A crater formed from the blast and Naruto jumped back to his teammates, dirt caught on his clothes.

"Kakashi-sensei, what should we do?" He asked the Jounin beside him, still maintaining eye contact with the girl in front of him.

"We need to strategize." He replied as he whipped out a kunai. "Keep attacking, I'll think of something." With that, Sasuke, Sai, and Naruto dashed off once more, all running at lightning speed at the purple haired girl in front of them.

Kakashi observed as Miu dodged all their attacks, moving off to the side with a grin. They met gazes before she turned back to the three teens charging at her. _There has to be some sort of weakness. _Kakashi thought to himself as he narrowed his eye. He watched as the opponent back flipped from the Chidori that Sasuke plunged into the ground and made a few hand seals.

"Multiple Shadow Snake Hands!" Snakes darted out of her sleeve and came at astonishing speed towards Naruto. Sai drew a phoenix from above and sent it straight down to Naruto to block the blow. Ink splattered all over the ground as Naruto leaped back next to Sasuke.

Miu took a deep breath and straightened to her full height with a smile on her face. She put her hands together and began hand seals that were too fast for the human eye. She grinned as she finished the seal and met all of their gazes.

"My turn, Summoning Jutsu!" She bent down on her knees and smacked her hand on the ground. Immediately, a puff of smoke appeared and a large figure darted out and attacked Naruto and Sasuke from behind. Jumping out of the way just in time, Sasuke gaped as a white snake slithered under them, its form about half the size of Manda, Orochimaru's snake.

Suddenly, the snake split into two and slithered around, launching into the air with their mouths wide open. Sasuke widened his eyes and pulled out his katana just in time for the jaws to hit against it, preventing it from consuming him. He cringed as the snake hissed, its saliva stuck on its tongue. The Uchiha pulled his weapon out and flipped over the jaws that snapped on the spot where he was just a second ago. He was just about to slash down on its scales when he heard Naruto call out his name.

Whirling around, the other snake was coming at him with its jaws wide open. He glanced to his side and saw that the one that tried to attack him came as well. He scowled and leaped into the air just as the two jaws collided with each other. He landed on the ground and lit up his katana with Chidori, about to electrocute them when he spotted a figure fly by him.

"Captain Yamato!" Naruto called out as they all regrouped, all lined up facing Miu and the two snakes that surrounded her. Yamato briefly gave the three male teammates a nod before turning to Kakashi with a grim look on his face.

"It's started." Those two words were what surprised the lot of them. Kakashi turned around to see the barrier in the distance. He pulled up his forehead protector from his left eye and widened his eye as he gazed into the barrier. He could see the dark chakra that was rising from within. How horrible.

"Which makes taking Miu down even more important." The silver Jounin replied as he turned back to his teammates .They all nodded in unison as they faced their opponent once more.

"Go, Yamato, alert the Hokage that Sakura might be in the village any minute." He added as he turned to his subordinate.

"Hai, Kakashi-sempai," With that Yamato gave another nod to the others and dashed off, desperate to make it back to the village.

"Kakashi-sensei, what should we do?" Naruto asked once more, clenching the kunai that was in his hand.

"We need to get to Miu, but those snakes are blocking the way. Sai and I will handle that. Sasuke, Naruto, you get to her and _bring her down." _He said in a low voice as he narrowed his eyes at the grinning girl only a few meters away from them.

"Hai," The three teens replied as they tensed, waiting for his command. The sound of metal hitting against metal echoed around the forest as their comrades fought with the other opponents.

"Let's go." The four of them dashed in a straight line, a determined look on all of their faces. Sai and Kakashi immediately flew into the air as they came down on the two white snakes that hissed up at them. Naruto and Sasuke soon followed suit, descending at a rapid pace towards the girl who started all of this.

**xXx**

"Gah!" Tenten cried out as she fell on the ground, her weapons clattering all around her. She gasped for air as Lee and Neji appeared in front of her, waiting for her to get back up.

"Tenten, are you alright?" Neji asked as he looked all around them with his Byakugan.

"Y-yeah," The Chinese girl replied as she got to her feet, summoning a long chained scythe, wrapping the chain around her hand. She looked to the sky and glanced back as the other teammate that came with them appeared.

"Hinata-sama, can you see anything?" Neji asked as he searched for the bomb user. The heir to the Hyuga Clan shook her head as she joined the circle that the four of them made.

"Incoming at 3 o'clock!" She exclaimed suddenly as they paid attention to her directions. They looked up just as the wings of the clay bird appeared from above the trees.

"Scatter!" Neji said as he spotted the dozens of bombs that were suddenly thrown. As soon as they even reached the trees, the bombs exploded down on them, throwing them all off their feet.

Tenten got up to her feet and was about to attack at Deidara when she felt an overwhelming presence come over her. She froze in place as she tried to identify what it was. _Such…a dark chakra! _She thought to herself as she turned her head behind her, eyes widened.

_Sakura?_

"Tenten!" She whirled around and jumped out of the bomb that came on her. Landing in a nearby tree, she balanced herself with her hand placed on the bark. _It has to be! _

"Neji, it's started!" She exclaimed as she met his wide eyes. The Hyuga stiffened and turned his head to the mountains that Sakura was supposedly in. He activated his Byakugan, he saw the large barrier that was set up as well as a figure in the middle. He narrowed his eyes when saw Sakura's face tilted up to the sky, black chakra surrounding her. He noticed the curse mark covering her entire being and frowned. Looking back to his teammate, they both exchanged serious glances in silence.

"We need to finish this quickly."

**xXx**

She hated this. She hated how she couldn't do a _single _thing against this wretched curse mark. Sakura could only watch in silence as her body did what Miu asked. She was currently dashing through the trees at lightning speed, heading straight for the village. No matter how much she wanted to turn away and kill the girl herself, the curse mark's hold on her was too much.

She landed on top of Konoha's Main Gates and stared down at the village with half closed eyes. Her red eyes glowed from under her eyelids as she made hand seals. In a second she was falling towards the ground with her fist fused with chakra. If she had control of her actions she would have pulled her arm away from wrecking the ground, probably breaking her limb, not able to stand destroying the very home she cherished.

However, she _didn't_ have control of her actions so her mental pleas were no help to the large crack that formed from her fist that made contact into the ground. The crack was so large that it split into multiple ones and went under all of the houses and shops, lifting them off the ground and destroying everything that was inside.

Sakura got up to her feet and was immediately met a line of Jounin and Chuunin whom she knew. Some of the faces were familiar to her because they were her patients when she worked at the hospital. They would talk with her and make her day brighter with the pleased expressions on their faces. This wasn't the case. Right now, the faces she knew were filled with anticipation as well as…fear.

They all knew just who she was; who she was taught by.

And they knew that they could very well die fighting her.

Yet they braced themselves with a resolve and launched themselves at her with a determined look set in their eyes. She twisted out of one of the Chuunin's way and slammed her foot into his back, sending him flying. Immediately, another one appeared in front of her, armed with dozens of kunais. She threw them all at her with accurate precision, but Sakura flipped out of the way, blocking the ones that would've hit her with her kunai. She came behind her and landed a chakra fused punch to her face, instantly whirling around on one foot to kick the Jounin that leaped towards her in the chest.

_I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! _She screamed in her mind as she continued to attack the familiar faces. She wished with all her heart to just stop but the curse mark had control of her actions now. What she thought of no longer meant anything. Her faith was only placed in her friends who fought the ones who caused all this.

The pink haired kunoichi jabbed her hands out and landed her palms directly into two of the Chuunins' chests, sending them sprawled on their back, coughing up blood.

"Don't give up!" She looked up when she heard his voice, her face expressionless. Yamato looked down at her from atop a building with such a serious fighting gaze that she wouldn't have believed that he could be so kind and gentle.

"Hai!" The others who remained replied, soon launching back into the war zone. Sakura, her eyes only locked on the ANBU member above her, countered all of her attackers punches and sent them all flying into the homes and shops of the village.

Yamato narrowed his eyes down at her, his muscles tensed up. They exchanged gazes silently. It was only for a second however. As soon as a heartbeat passed, the wood user closed his eyes and turned on his heel, heading for the Hokage. Sakura felt in her mind that something was telling her to go after him, but the curse mark only chanted words that made her wipe those thoughts away.

_Kill. Destroy. Kill. Destroy. Kill. Destroy. Kill. Destroy. _

_Destruction of Konoha. Kill everyone in your way. _

Sakura bent down on one knee, a circle of dirt coming up off the floor as she made the hand seals that were for the technique she was about to use. Her half closed eyes stared at the ground without any emotion and her heart felt completely empty.

Just who exactly could save her from this?

**xXx**

Miu grinned at the two ninja's in front of her. They were relentless! And she found it just so _completely _amusing! Their sheer will to bring back their teammate came off in waves towards her as they clashed weapons again, simply for someone that they care about. She didn't understand that. All her life she had been alone, with no one to rely on except for herself. That is until Orochimaru took her in from the Sound village.

_This is why I hate people like them. The way they hold someone dear to their heart is one thing I'll never, _ever _have. _She thought to herself as an irritated frown spread across her lips. She flipped over the katana that was about to slash her torso and swiped her blade across Naruto's cheek, giving him a small cut. However, the guy didn't even take a second glance at it.

She scoffed with amusement as she landed back on solid ground when she sensed it. She looked up to the sky, waiting. Then she felt the seal. She grinned as she met the two teen's glares.

"Well, it was nice playing with you, but I have to go~!" She sweetly said, giving them a wave before disappearing in a puff of white cloud. The two teens who witnessed this exchanged confused glances and looked back at Kakashi and Sai who were also surprised when the two snakes had disappeared.

"Where did she go?" Naruto asked as they met up with them. Kakashi thought about it for a moment, as did Sai when they both came up with a conclusion.

"The village!" The moment they said that, the other members of Konoha Twelve appeared out of nowhere, looking completely exhausted yet ready for anything.

"Everyone? What's up?" The Jinchuuriki asked as he came up to them with a curious look in his blue eyes.

"I dunno, our opponent just…vanished. We were fighting him and then, 'poof'! Gone!" Kiba exclaimed as he took a step forward, animating everything with his hand gestures.

"C'mon, we need to head to the village. There's no doubt that Sakura's already there." Kakashi said, getting all of their attention. They all nodded and dashed off into the trees, the nervous tension in the pit of their stomachs getting to all of them.

**xXx**

Before she could finish the technique, something appeared beside her and she turned her head slightly to acknowledge this person.

"Hm, so I see you _were _about to use it." Miu smirked as she got to her feet, putting her hands into the seal that started the technique.

"Yes, you will join me?" Sakura asked quietly with her glowing red eyes. The purple haired girl widened her smirk and looked at her with a sidelong glance.

"Of course! Now…"

The two of them bent down on one knee and made the hand seals that were at an abnormal speed. They smacked their hands down on the ground at the same time, calling out the jutsu.

"Elemental Beast Transformation!"

With a loud 'pop', smoke surrounded the both of them as reinforcements arrived from the village. The cloudy smoke from before swirled around Sakura, soon taking the form of the tiger; it dived towards her, her red eyes appearing in its figure as it became solid. For Miu, a giant white wolf took over her, her lilac eyes glaring at the shinobi down on the ground. The two of them growled ferociously, baring their fangs. Hatred seemed to show in both of their eyes as they earned reactions of gasps from the ninja below.

"Let's go, Sakura." Miu growled, bending low on her haunches. The tiger next to her nodded and bent down in her stance as well, about to attack when a group of ninja dashed out from behind them. The Sakura that was imprisoned from within widened her eyes.

_No! No. No. No. No. NO! STOP IT! _She screamed with every ounce of will she had. However, no one could hear her.

Her friends stood down on the ground before her, gazing up at them with a determined gaze in their eyes. Miu smirked at the sight of this and raised a paw, bringing down on the earth, throwing all of them off their feet. Konoha Twelve leaped up on to the buildings and looked at their opponent with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Sensei?" Naruto asked as he gave him a worried glance. The silver haired Jounin narrowed his eyes as the tiger in front of him opened its mouth, some sort of beam gathering into a ball. If they don't dodge that, they're as good as dead.

"We need to stop them at all costs!" He ordered, as everyone else nodded in agreement. Three figures appeared by his side and grinned to see Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy ready for action.

"We think that they'll be after the Hokage as well." Asuma said as he gave his friend a glance. Kakashi stiffened at the news and knew that everyone else had heard it, the pressure placed on their shoulders getting heavier.

"Naruto, Sasuke,"

"Yeah?" The two of them said in unison, glancing over to their former teacher with a piqued interest.

"You need to reach Sakura, break her out of that control somehow. The rest of us will deal with Miu. We'll make her stop the control, and when that happens, reach into Sakura's depths of her mind and get her out." Kakashi replied as he pulled out a kunai from his holster as well as shuriken from his pouch.

"Right!" Naruto and Sasuke replied at the same time once more, giving a glance to all of their friends. They all nodded encouragingly at them, a small smile on their faces.

"We can do this everyone!" Chouji yelled as he raised a fist in the air. Everyone else joined with a cry of cheers.

"That Miu's gonna _pay _for doing this to Sakura!" Ino exclaimed as she clenched her fists in anger, her anger fueled by everyone else's.

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered to himself, yet getting down into his strategizing pose.

"Charge!" Naruto yelled as they all dashed forward, a sense of déjà vu in the air as they headed straight for the two large animals that stood in front of them.

**xXx**

A sigh escaped the Hokage's lips as she checked to see what was happening out in the village. Things were in chaos…just like she had predicted. She just hoped that they'd get Sakura back before she came to destroy her own tower.

"Hey, if you keep at scowl of yours you'll get wrinkles." She turned her head slightly to acknowledge the long white haired Sannin and smirked.

"You wanna die, ah Jiraya?" She asked, her voice gruff as she crossed her arms in front of her. Her old teammate chuckled as he put a hand behind his head.

"Not today," He replied before sobering up and gazing out at the village that was currently being destroyed.

"Do you need me to go out there and help?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow to the soaring shinobi that were sent by the two large animals.

"You know they can handle it." Tsunade replied bluntly as she narrowed her eyes at the action happening outside.

"I know, just wanted to suggest." Jiraya replied with a small smile.

Tsunade ignored his comment and widened her eyes when she saw the silver tiger tear past the shinobi that tried to prevent it from moving, heading straight towards her. She inhaled sharply when Sakura was only about a few kilometers away, and held her breath when Naruto appeared in front of her suddenly and slammed his Rasengan straight into her.

Pushed back from the blast, the tiger roared with pain and bounded to its feet once more, shaking off the pain. The Hokage smiled as Naruto gave her a thumbs up with his back turned to her, before leaping off back into the fight.

"Yeah, they'll be just fine."

Jiraya smiled slightly at this, the sides of his eyes crinkling. His student turned out to be something extraordinary. Just like him.

It's exactly what this village needs.

**xXx**

The tiger in front of the two teammates growled intensely as it maintained eye contact with the two of them. Sasuke lit his hand with Chidori and leaped off the building he was standing on-or what seemed like the remains of it-and jumped off the large chunks of rocks that came at him from the paw that the tiger sent into the ground. Summoning his chakra, he came at bursting speed and dashed to the tiger's side, thrusting the jutsu into the fur.

Roaring with rage, it whirled around and tried to snap its jaws on Sasuke's torso, but Naruto leaped in and pushed him out of the way just in time. The two landed on the ground in a heap of a mess and stood up coughing from the dirt in the air.

"Idiot," Naruto heard the Uchiha mutter before leaping back into the fight. The blonde knew that the guy was grateful for saving his body from being food, but knew him well enough to not see any acknowledgement for it.

He looked at the looming tiger that bared its teeth against Sasuke and wondered to himself if that was really Sakura-chan. Judging by how the crazed bloodlust look in her eye was slowly getting fiercer, he realized that they needed to reach her mind somehow.

He recalled snippets of the time when Sasuke and him had fought, both reaching each other's minds and able to sort things out. Maybe they just needed to get to near death as possible with her. Then maybe, _maybe _it would work.

And so, the Uzumaki and Uchiha planned together and went completely all out on their friend that stood in front of them.

But yet, it seemed as though the attacks they gave had no affect on their friend. Sasuke took a glance at the purple haired girl who fought against his other friends and narrowed his eyes as the wolf swiped at them with a dangerous fire in her eyes.

This wasn't going to end well if they didn't kill her first.

**xXx**

**Author's Note: **WELP that concludes this chapter! I hope you all liked reading it! Please do leave a review before you go!

Oh and I'd like to add how truly grateful I am for the amount of Hits and Views I'm getting. Do you wanna know that this story is my most viewed one out of my other ones? You readers are all sooo amazing and awesome so I'm EXTREMELY GRATEFUL! XD Please accept my thanks! *hands out character designed cookies* Oh yes, and that number of Hits and Views?

Hits: 4,500 (yeah baby! My highest one EVER! I thank you with all my heart!)

Views: 1,281 (Thank you all SOOOO much!)

I AM ETERNALLY THANKFUL TO ALL OF YOU READERS! I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO LIKE THIS STORY AS THE PLOT CONTINUES!

-FallenWing21


	18. Chapter 17: Homecoming

**Author's Note: **Ah crap it's been so long since I updated….Well ya see….I guess I kinda got lost through the path of life? Ahaha, Kakashi's old line~

Chapter 17: Homecoming

**WxWxW**

Kakashi frowned as he jumped away from the snakes that set their jaws into the ground and whirled around to meet weapons with the young purple haired teen. The girl had decided to move back to her real form while Sakura still stayed in her beast form. Miu smiled back at him sweetly before swiping her blade off his knife, twirling into the air to land a kick on his chest. Stumbling back slightly, the silver haired Jounin summoned chakra to his feet and disappeared  
>from Miu's sight.<p>

"Come out come out Kakashi," She sung as she looked all around her, a hateful look in her eyes. Tenten took this opportunity to use her Twin Rising Dragons on her, trying to immobilize her as much as possible. Miu however saw this coming and glared up at the weapons that were coming down at her.

She put her hands together for a second before tilting her weapon up quickly. In a second she was blocking off every single one of Tenten's attacks, her arm moving at high speed. The Chinese teen gaped at the Akatuski member's ability and gritted her teeth as she leaned forward with her hands outstretched.

"I'm not done!" She yelled as she pulled her hands back, the wires wrapping around her hands more tightly. The weapons pulled out from the ground and floated above her as she met eyes with Miu. Throwing her arms in front of her, she threw all of the ninja weapons down at her with an exact precision. And yet, she flipped in the air at the exact moment and bounced on top of the kunai's and scythe's hilts, escaping all of the others.

Tenten 'tched' and lowered herself on to the ground, her head lowered. _I still I have _this _one! _She placed her hands on the ground, her bangs covering her face, and started conducting hand seals at an impossible speed. Suddenly Neji flew past her, knowing exactly what she was planning. They both just hoped that Miu didn't. While Neji and Miu fought, Tenten increased her speed in hand seals just as Lee landed next to her.

"I am ready when you are Tenten," He stated as he waited for her signal. She nodded in acknowledgement and stopped at the last seal, meeting her teammate's eyes. Instantly, Rock Lee burst off the ground and disappeared high into the sky.

Neji, trying to act unpredictable-which was a bit challenging, managed to get some of Miu's chakra points, making her stumble a bit. He finished his turn off with a Gentle Fist and jumped into the air, knowing what was coming.

"Summoning Art: Dragon Chains!" Tenten yelled as she smacked her hands down on the ground. The black seals appeared from under her palms and smoke rose from her hands. Two figures moved and buried themselves into the ground. Immediately, they popped out of the ground at both sides of Miu, taking the form of two silver dragons.

All of this moving at an amazing speed; the two dragons wrapped themselves around Miu's body, curling higher and higher. As their tails moved up as they coiled, chains appeared on the spot their tails slithered over. The two dragons roared as they soared up into the sky and flew back next to Tenten. Miu stood in front of her wrapped in chains, an enraged look on her face.

"Lee! Now!" The weapon's specialist called out as her dragons planted themselves on the ground, growls escaping their throats.

"Got it!" Lee replied as he came down from the sky, landing an earth crushing kick to the Akatsuki member's head. A crater formed where the both of them stood and as Lee jumped a good distance away from her, blood dripped from the side of her head as she took a step back.

"You've got skill," She whispered with a cold smile. She lifted her head slowly to meet Lee's glare. _What? That should've killed her! _Tenten thought angrily to herself as she clenched her fists.

"But, it _isn't _enough to kill me." Miu added as she stood up to her full height, blood covering one eye and making it red. Suddenly, she was about to break through the chains when she froze. She looked down at her feet and scowled. A shadow stretched from her feet all the way to where Tenten was standing. Shikamaru stood in that stance of his, his Shadow Possession Jutsu a success.

"You!" Shikamaru smirked as he fixed his position slightly.

"Hinata, Kiba, Shino!" He called out as the team dashed out from the shelter, making their way into the battle. Just as the three of them were about to pounce on her, Shino took out his insects and put them on Miu just as Shikamaru released his jutsu. Miu screamed as the bugs covered her body, b ut she put her hands together and cast a seal, making the bugs explode off of her. Almost instantly, Hinata rushed in and blocked the rest of her chakra points, finishing it off with a rotation. Kiba and Akamaru immediately followed in and used Fang over Fang, battering their opponent.

Miu growled as she wiped the blood off of her chin and glanced over at the tiger that fought against two of the Konoha Thirteen. They were torn and scratched so much they looked so close to death. She smirked and for a second she was unaware of her surroundings. That was all the time that Kakashi needed to reappeared behind her and plunge his Raikiri into her chest.

She widened her eyes in slow motion as she gazed upward towards the night sky, blood spurting out on to the ground. Her eyes moved to her successful experiment and watched as the two ninjas' strongest attacks collided with the tiger's body.

_Dammit, was this how it was always going to end? With the bad guys _always _losing? It was just one second! Just. One. Damn. Second! _Miu thought to herself as she felt the curse mark's control fade away from her system. She no longer had control over Sakura. She….she-

She had failed.

**WxWxW**

This was it. They were both at their limit. They just only hoped that this would work.

When Sasuke had seen Miu being held up by the others, he told Naruto about the plan. About how as soon as she was attacked by Kakashi's Raikiri, that they would use their use their strongest techniques on Sakura. This _had _to work. In order to bring her back. The three of them were a team. And they'd do everything they can for each other.

Sasuke tapped Naruto shoulder as soon as he saw Kakashi's Raikiri pierce through her chest. Naruto opened his eyes in Sage Mode and stood up, summoning two clones to begin the Rasen-Shuriken. Sasuke took out his Kusanagi sword and waited for Naruto's signal. They may have only seconds.

"Let's go, Sasuke." The blonde said as the two clones disappeared. The Uchiha nodded and the both of them started running at full speed towards the tiger that growled at them. Tenten had helped them out by using her Dragon Chains to hold down the tiger. The others grabbed the chains and kept it pinned down as Sasuke and Naruto approached it at an incredible speed.

"Rasen-Shuriken!"

"Chidori Sword!"

Naruto went straight into the tiger's chest while Sasuke lit his sword with Chidori and plunged it into the spot next to Naruto's. The blast was forced them back, but the two came next to each other and put their hand on their backs, pushing them on. Sasuke stared at the tiger's form and activated his Sharingan, seeing the other presence inside it.

_Sakura! We're coming! _As the two of them shoved their attacks in, the tiger roared painfully as its form started to crack. It was as if it were made of stone; the fur gaining small cracks, slowly getting larger. Suddenly, everything seemed to stop as the tiger's form shattered into white scales. The white scales floated in the breeze as Naruto and Sasuke stared straight ahead, looking at the pink haired girl who stood in front of them. She still had the curse mark on, but it looked like she was free of Miu's control. Sasuke smiled slightly as he spotted those emerald eyes he missed dearly. Then it seemed as though it were just the three of them, alone.

They approached her in a floating manner, their other teammates gone from the world they were in. As Naruto and Sasuke descended from the air, the Uchiha recognized the place they were in to be similar to the place where he and Naruto talked-when they were half dead of course. Sakura's room had a large blue sky and lots of trees swaying in the breeze. But there was a crescent moon high in the sky. It seemed as though everything was peaceful. A large gust of wind blew from behind the two, directing their attention back to their pink haired friend.

Sakura was lying against the tree with her eyes closed, her hands laced neatly together. She looked so peaceful sitting like that. The two teammates walked over to her, hoping that she would talk with them. Sasuke glanced over to his best friend and saw him smiling, his bright blue eyes shining.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto greeted as he took a seat in front of her, his legs crossed under him. Sasuke sat next to him quietly, watching as the kunoichi opened her eyes. She raised her head and met Sasuke and Naruto's gazes.

"You're here." She softly greeted with a smile on her face. She leaned forward and grabbed both of their hands, holding them. "I'm glad."

"We're here to bring you back Sakura-chan." The blonde said with a grin. Sasuke could only stare at the girl he liked, seeing her smile.

"I know. I'm sorry I've given you a hard time." She quietly replied, giving both of them a sad glance. Naruto nudged Sasuke in the elbow, telling him to say something.

"Its-we're alright. Everyone's fighting right now, but it's to bring you back. They all want you to return to the village." He interrupted, his voice soft. Sakura met his gaze before nodding with a smile.

"I see. They're all waiting then. As much as I'd like to go back," Naruto and Sasuke instantly looked at her, eyes wide. What was she saying? "I can't." Naruto was the first to react. He stood up with a shocked look on his face.

"What do you mean you can't? Don't you want to go back? Don't you want to see Tsunade-baa-chan again?" He demanded, his arm gesturing behind him, to where everyone was waiting. Sakura lowered her head, her hair covering her eyes as she replied.

"Of course I want to. I want to so much. But…" She lifted her head to meet Naruto's gaze, a sad look in those beautiful emerald eyes of hers. Sasuke didn't know how to react with what she said next.

"My mind has been taken over by the curse mark. It's already too late. I'm afraid there isn't anything you can do. This Sakura you're talking to is just the last part of the rest of her." She softly explained, her hair covering her eyes once more. Sasuke stood up slowly, his eyes widened at her words.

"That's not true! That can't be true Sakura-chan! We can bring you back!" Naruto exclaimed as he gave her an eager smile. He grabbed her hand and was about to pull her up when chains shot out from the old oak tree, wrapping around her torso and arm, pulling her back. Naruto gaped at this, his hand slipping from hers.

"You see? As much as I want to leave, I can't." Sakura whispered, clenching her fists. Sasuke blinked as the chains receded back into the tree, letting Sakura lean back against it dejectedly. He realized that if he liked her this much he'd have to go to extents.

"You have to keep fighting Sakura," Sasuke quietly said, taking her hand and pulling her forth again.

"What're you-"

Once more, the chains shot out and wrapped around her body, forcing her back. However this time, Sasuke tightened his grip around her hand and pulled against the chain's force. Sakura widened her eyes at what he was doing and watched as Naruto joined him, pulling against Sasuke's other arm. Naruto summoned a mass of his clones and all together, they started pulling against the strong chains.

"What you're doing is impossible!" Sakura exclaimed as the chains pulled against her, causing her to wince.

"Don't you give us that crap Sakura," Sasuke replied in low voice as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. His pink haired friend looked at him in astonishment as he kept going. "We've pretty much already done the impossible,"

"So this should be a piece of cake!" Naruto added on as his clones yelled in agreement. "Let's go everyone!" Sakura lowered her head, a small smile forming on her lips.

"You guys…would go to _this _much for me?" She whispered as she tightened her grip around Sasuke's hand. He noticed this and looked at her for a second, his eyes softening.

"Of course, you did the same for me." Sasuke replied as Sakura began pushing against the chains, the oak tree behind her creaking. Sakura stayed quiet for a moment before lifting her head to meet her teammates' gazes. She grinned and nodded to the both of them, making a hand seal.

"Alright, let's get out of here!" She exclaimed as she summoned chakra to the bottom of her feet, stepping forward slowly. The earth under her sunk from the amount of pressure she applied to her feet as she pushed herself.

In that instant, the three of them were all fighting for one thing; to bring themselves back and to escape this place. Sakura gritted her teeth as the chains dug into her skin but kept walking forward, the creaking of the tree getting louder. Sasuke glanced down when he saw a dot of blood hit the ground and looked back at Sakura's torso, seeing the chains deep in it. Apparently, Naruto saw this as well and widened his eyes.

"Sakura-chan," Their pink haired friend looked up at them with a determined look and nodded.

"I know Naruto, but I want to go back. If it means doing this…" She trailed off as she grabbed the chains around her torso with one hand, tugging on it. That resulted in the chains pulling so hard, she slipped out of Sasuke's grip, sent back into the tree's trunk so hard that it made an outline of her body. Panting, Sakura slumped against the chains as Sasuke and Naruto came running over. Blood dripped from her forehead and into her eye but she forced herself to stand up without the other's help.

"I have an idea. I'll pull on the chains again, but you two attack the tree. That might work." She suggested as she shifted forward, the chains catching her wrists. Immediately, she trudged forward, straining.

"Are you sure, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as he gave her a hesitant look.

"Yes," Sasuke exchanged glances with his best friend and nodded, jumping off in the direction of the tree. Sakura could hear their yells as the chains attacked them but pushed it aside, focusing on herself.

_Alright, all this takes, is to summon as much chakra as I can. _She thought to herself as she walked back over to the tree, sitting down to gather chakra. She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, calming herself as she felt her chakra building up.

"Sakura, ready?" She heard Sasuke call from above. Taking another moment, she opened her eyes and stood up.

"Yes! Give it everything you've got!" She yelled as she rushed forward, anticipating the chains instantly. As they wrapped around her wrists, she clenched her teeth and grabbed on to them, turning around to whip them over her head. In an all out tug of war, she dug her feet into the ground and summoned all of her chakra into her hands.

"Take this!" Pulling her hands over her head, she heard the chains ripping out of the tree as she grunted, letting them fly out of her hands. As soon as they were out, Sasuke and Naruto thrust their jutsu's into the tree, exploding on contact.

Falling on her side, she was joined with her two teammates, who fell beside her on their backs. As the oak tree went back into the earth, it seemed as though the world they were in was much more at peace. Sakura gazed up at the sky with a relaxed look on her face and glanced over at Naruto and Sasuke. They also held those carefree looks on their faces as well. Reaching out to both of them, she grabbed their hands and smiled at both of them before bursting into laughter. The two best friends joined in, relieved that they finally reached her. They all stood up, grins on their lips as they looked at one another.

"Thank you," She softly said as her form began to shimmer, tears in her eyes. Naruto and Sasuke nodded as their pink haired friend started to disappear. Their time in this world was about to end.

Almost immediately, it was as if a switch was turned off and the two friends were back in the present world, crashing straight into a wide eyed Sakura. In a messy heap on the ground, Sakura groaned as the other two quickly got off of her, helping her up. She rubbed the back of her head as she looked at all of her friends who came to meet her.

"Sakura!" A body crashed into hers and pulled her into a tight hug. The pink haired girl saw the blonde long hair and smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Ino," She whispered, burying her face in her best friend's shoulder.

"We did it!" Chouji punched his fist into the air as the others joined him, giving high fives to each other and joining Sakura in a group hug.

"Great job Naruto, Sasuke!" Lee energetically said with a thumbs up. Kiba grinned as Akamaru barked in with the others, his tail wagging happily. Hinata clasped her hands behind her back as she gave Naruto a shy glance. He grinned back at her with a thumbs up.

"Everyone," Kakashi appeared in front of all of them, a relieved look on his face when he saw a smiling Sakura.

"Kakashi-sensei! Did you get her?" Naruto asked, obviously about Miu. His former teacher tilted his head to the side but shook his head. Sai joined them all and nodded to all of them in greeting.

"When Kakashi hit Miu with his Raikiri, she was dazed for a moment before she escaped and ran away." He explained as he stood next to the silver haired Jounin.

"Well anyways, I think we should go back to the Hokage and tell her of this. C'mon." Kakashi said as he dashed into the air, the others following behind. Sakura stayed in the middle where everyone started chatting excitedly, glad that she was back. Ino was by her side every second, saying that she missed her so much. She knew that everyone was happy that she was back, but she knew that there were going to be hardships that she had to face soon. She didn't know what they were, but when they came, she promised herself that she'd be ready for it.

When they had all reached the Hokage Tower, Tsunade was there to greet her, a relieved smile on her face. Sakura met gazes with her Master and bowed her head in greeting as the rest of them stepped into the office. The Hokage sat down in her seat with a small smile on her face.

"So, what news of Miu?" She asked Kakashi as Asuma, Guy, and Kurenai appeared as well.

"She had escaped but she was heavily wounded so I have no doubt that she's going back to the Akatsuki's headquarters."

"We've checked the perimeter and saw no signs of the others who were with her. The village is secured, Hokage-sama." Asuma reported as he stood behind his team.

Tsunade nodded in response and took a breath, turning to the window. The sun was slowly rising at the edge of the horizon and as it came up, its rays lit up the entire village from the dark battle that had just happened. It was finally morning.

"You all are dismissed. You all get the day off tomorrow for a good hard work. Get those injuries treated before you rest though." She said in that commanding voice of hers.

"Hai!" They all replied in unison, soon stepping out. Sakura stayed behind, knowing what her Master wanted to do after they all left. As soon as the door shut, she walked over to Sakura and pulled her into a strong hug. Burying her face into her Master's shoulder, she smiled against it, tears falling.

"It's good to have you back Sakura," The Hokage softly said as she pulled away, looking at her student with pride. The pink haired kunoichi nodded as she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Go get some rest; you'll get the day off tomorrow so go." She added as she gave her student a push of her shoulders. Sakura nodded and exited her office, coming down from the Hokage Tower. As soon as she was in the streets, her friends were there to greet her, grins on their faces. Enveloped in another group hug, she wanted to remember this feeling forever, of having people who cared for her so much. As they all went home, she was left alone with her two teammates who had smiles on their faces.

"We get the day off tomorrow, so what do you want to do?" She asked as she approached them, wrapping her arms around both of their shoulders, a grin on her face.

"First off, sleep. Why don't we just meet up tomorrow by our old training grounds?" Naruto suggested as he yawned, covering it with mouth. Sakura glanced over at Sasuke who nodded in agreement.

"Okay~!" Sakura happily replied before stopping. Her two teammates looked back at her curiously as she looked down at the ground.

"Listen, I just wanted to thank you. For…everything you've done for me. I know that I might've said some bad things but, I'm just glad that you still came." She quietly said, tears falling from her cheeks once more. Sasuke and Naruto looked at their teammate with softened eyes as they came up to her.

"I'm sorry, what am I doing crying like this?" She chuckled as she lifted her head to meet both of their gazes.

"It's alright to cry once in a while." Sasuke replied as he took her hand in his. Naruto took her other one as the three of them started walking together as one.

"I guess it is," She whispered as she smiled.

"Just remember this Sakura-chan. We'll _always _be there for you. After all we're a team!" Naruto exclaimed as he glanced over at her, a grin on his face.

"Right," She replied as she tightened her grip on their hands.

The son of the Fourth Hokage who went through so much to become acknowledged, the pink haired kunoichi who wanted to become something more, and an Uchiha who realized what was important to him.

That's what made up Team 7.

**WxWxW**

**Author's Note: **I know it's been like a super long long three week update, and I'm sorry for that, but I do hope that this chapter somehow made up for it! With all the summer reading projects that are coming up, I don't think I'll be able to update as frequently now. But, I'll try to post when I'm finished!

So promise me that you'll wait for it! Thank you so much for reading! And do not worry, this story isn't finished! Sasuke's still gotta confess doesn't he? :)


	19. Chapter 18: Confessions

**Author's Note: **Here's what you've all been waiting for! I hope the scene of the confession goes really smoothly with you all!

And thank you to **MusicLover2010 **for the location of the confession. I hope you like the scene!

Chapter 18: Confessions 

**WxWxW**

When Sakura opened her eyes, she still couldn't believe that she was back home, that she wasn't under Miu's control anymore, and that she was back in the place she loved. However as the pink haired kunoichi pinched herself, she began to believe that it was all real. Climbing out of bed, she winced as her sore body ached, changing her clothes to get ready.

Even though the sun was shining outside and the villagers were back in the village, managing the shops and restaurants, Sakura couldn't help but feel something drop in her gut. She knew that she should take caution of it, but she didn't want to let it worry her because of her friends. They were important to her and she wanted to mend whatever distances came between them. Stepping out of her apartment, the kunoichi breathed in the fresh air and sighed, smiling. Hopefully this day would go well.

Making her way to the old training grounds, she passed shops that had bustling customers and took a glance at some clothing and food too, deciding to buy a stick of dango. She was about to head straight to the grounds, but decided against it, knowing her friends, that Naruto would be late. Rolling her eyes, she took a bite of dango and walked on, wondering if she were to-

"Sakura!" Whirling around, Ino waved at her from her flower shop, a bouquet of white roses in her hand. The pink haired girl smiled as she approached the blonde and nodded in greeting.

"Hey Ino," She said as she took a step inside the shop, looking around.

"So, how are you? Your wounds doing alright?" Ino asked as she set the bouquet in a vase, filling it up with water.

"Mm, they're getting better. Hey, why are you working? It's your day off today. Shouldn't you at least spend some time out?" Sakura asked as she turned around, tilting her head to the side curiously. The Yamanaka chuckled as she turned around, rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah, but my dad reminded me that I had to deliver these flowers to someone, so once I'm finished I'm free. Do you want to come?" She asked as she walked towards the door, the vase in her hands. Sakura followed behind her, shutting the lights as she made her way out.

"To deliver those roses?" Ino nodded as she locked the door, bringing her hair over to the side.

"C'mon, it'll be quick. Then we can go do something." Sakura blinked and remembered her plans for today. She walked beside her blonde best friend, heading towards the person who will receive the flowers.

"Actually, I was planning to meet Naruto and Sasuke today. Maybe we could meet up with everyone at Ichiraku's or something like that?" Sakura suggested as they stopped in front of a house. For some reason it looked familiar.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Ino replied as she knocked on the door. "Hello? This is the Yamanaka's, your delivery's here!" She called out as she waited for someone to open the door. Sakura watched as the door pulled open and Shikamaru stepped out, a surprised look on his face.

"Uh, hey Ino." He greeted, his eyes locked on the flowers and not on her face. Ino seemed shocked as well but kept it hidden, smiling.

"Here, these were requested by your family so I came to deliver them." She replied, handing the Nara the white roses in the vase. Shikamaru holding a flower vase did not mix together, Sakura realized as he kept his eyes downcast, a light blush covering his cheeks. Sakura smirked as she realized what was going on. Seems like this didn't really turn out as planned.

"Uh thanks, hey mom, the flowers are here!" He yelled as he turned his head over his shoulder.

"What dear?" In a second, Shikamaru's mother was standing behind him, her eyes locked on the flowers. "Oh what beautiful roses. Thank you for delivering them Ino, but I didn't order any."

For the next minute or two, silence ensued and a really red Shikamaru kept his gaze on the ground as Ino realized what was going on. Sakura grinned from the side, munching on her dango quietly. This was too good! Shikamaru's mother cleared her throat, a little red in the face as she patted her son's shoulder.

"Well Shikamaru, I'll leave it to you." She politely said as she disappeared back into the house, leaving the flustered Nara outside. There was another moment of silence before Sakura cleared her throat loudly, hopefully getting the two teammates out of their silence battle.

"Shikamaru," Ino whispered, her cheeks dusted with pink. Sakura smiled as her best friend met her teammate's gaze, a small smile on her lips. Shikamaru gave the Yamanaka a quirk of a smile and handed her a white rose from the vase.

"They're your favorite…right?" He quietly said, his eyes shining with happiness. Sakura took a mental picture of this scene and watched for a moment as Ino took the flower, fingering the stem. The blonde nodded as she looked back up at her teammate, a conversation starting that Sakura didn't want to interrupt.

Walking away quietly, she threw the empty stick of dango in the trashcan and looked to the sky. Sasuke and Naruto should be there by now, she thought as she smiled. Making her way to the training grounds, she came around the corner to see Sasuke and Naruto chatting softly, leaning against the worn out posts.

"Hey!" Sakura exclaimed over by the side, waving her hands up as they turned their heads. The both of them broke out in a grin as they walked over, nodding to her in greeting.

"What took you so long Sakura-chan? It's not like you to be late," Naruto observed as he put a hand on his chin, a mischievous look in his eyes. The pink haired girl chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Ah, I met up with Ino earlier. Say, why don't we meet up with everyone for dinner? Wouldn't that be fun?" She asked as she looked at the both of them with shining eyes. Sasuke nodded quietly, his hands shoved in his pockets while Naruto cheered, naming places where they could eat.

"So where should we go until then?" Sasuke asked as the three of them set off into the streets again, joining the bustling crowd. Sakura thought about it, tapping her chin in thought when a certain team appeared out of nowhere.

"Lee!" Naruto cried out as Team Guy walked over, a relaxed look on their faces. Lee began chatting excitedly with Naruto as Neji and Tenten greeted Sasuke and Sakura.

"How are you doing Sakura?" Tenten asked with a small tilt of her head. She was dressed in her usual Chinese outfit but her shirt was a dark green while her pants remained white, her headband tied around her neck. Neji however still looked the same as ever.

"I'm great Tenten! I was afraid that this wasn't real but it looks like it is," She replied as Sasuke glanced over at her curiously, seeing a bright true smile on her face.

"Really? That's great! I'm glad," The weapon's specialist replied, putting her hands together happily.

"Oh that's right. We were planning to all get together later for dinner, what do you think?" Sakura put out as Naruto joined the conversation.

"That sounds nice. Would you like us to tell the others?" Neji asked as he activated his Byakugan, searching. Tenten scowled and smacked his arm, gesturing him to stop.

"Let's not use that. We can search for them around town on _foot_. It'll be much more fun that way!" Tenten exclaimed as Lee joined in, rejoicing in the power of youth.

"Let's meet in front of Ichiraku's restaurant!" Naruto added as Team Guy walked away, Tenten waving her hand behind her as a signal she got it. "Alright, what should we do now?" He asked as he turned to his two teammates, a grin on his face.

"Why don't we walk around for a bit, do some shopping, maybe eat?" Sakura suggested with a shrug, earning two nods from her friends. Smiling, she looped her arms through her teammates' and led them forward, the busy crowd and love bird friends making the mood of today even better. Who knows maybe one of her friends will confess to one another?

**WxWxW**

Once Sasuke had even managed to stop next to the worn out training post, Naruto rushed in with a cheery grin on his face. Ready to face off his ever hyperactive personality, he sighed and leaned against the post, Naruto following suit. The two of them began talking about random things, whether it was about ramen or Kakashi-sensei he really couldn't care less. His mind was wandering elsewhere, where a scene replayed over and over inside his head, hoping that it would somehow come true on this very day.

But the thought that stopped it each time was, exactly _how _to tell her. From the way she acted when she called us over, it was like he was already placed in the friend zone. But he _knew _for some reason that that couldn't be it; that there was something else. When she had suggested that everyone would meet up later for dinner, he decided that he had to do it either before or after.

_He just didn't know how. _

That stupid thought crossed his mind again and he wanted to smack himself for it. It wasn't hard to say, it was three words. Just three words. And yet whenever he thought about that scene, his heart burst into a frenzy, wanting to break out of his chest. As the three of them walked around, he tried to think of a location, one where a significant memory was placed.

He felt a pull on his arm and saw Sakura being dragged by Naruto to some stuffed plushies of the big dango family. The blonde gushed at them, a bit of drool coming, but Sakura hit him straight on the head, growling at him not to eat those. Sasuke chuckled, catching the attention of the pink haired teen that turned around, a questioning look in her eyes. As soon as onyx eyes met with emerald ones, Sasuke averted his gaze and looked away, his heart beginning to race once more.

As Naruto ran over to another shop, Sasuke saw Sakura sigh as she ran a hand through her soft hair. He could tell her now, but…this place just didn't seem like the _perfect _place. He came up to her and glanced down at her wrist, seeing the bracelet that he had given her. It was still in perfect condition.

_So she had kept it all this time. _But then does that mean that she had feelings for him? That she liked him as well? Well he certainly _felt _like she did. But then again he might just be assuming things. Sasuke closed his eyes for a second and opened them again, glancing back at the pink bracelet on her wrist.

He looked at her hand and realized how much he wanted to hold it, to hug her and to tell her how much he loved her. But, not knowing exactly how she would react, he clenched the fist that was in his pocket, stopping himself from doing all those things.

"Sasuke," He looked up to see Sakura glancing back at with an arched eyebrow. "C'mon, Naruto says he just saw Team Kurenai and wanted to surprise them." Nodding, he followed the pink haired kunoichi through the crowd, making sure to not lose sight of the girl he loved.

"Kiba!" Naruto yelled as they came to a slightly quieter place in the streets. The Inuzuka turned around and grinned as the hyperactive knucklehead came walking over. Hinata gasped as Naruto said hello, laughing and having a good time. She stood next to Shino with pink cheeks, fiddling with her fingers. Sasuke took note of this and tapped Sakura's shoulder, nudging his head over to Hinata.

She looked at him for a second, her emerald eyes unreadable, but understood, walking over to Hinata's side to whisper in her ear. That just left him and Shino standing in front of each other.

"Hi," Shino greeted, his voice soft behind that high collar of his. Sasuke blinked and nodded, realizing how word deprived the both of them are.

"Hey," The Uchiha replied, his hands in his pockets casually. "We're not…very talkative people…are we?" He asked in a low voice, his eyes looking into the sunglasses of Shino.

"Yeah," The Aburame said, confirming his question. Sighing, Sasuke looked up to the sky, his hand behind his head when Kiba suddenly yelped. Team 7 looking over at him; he had a giddy look on his face.

"Yes! A dinner for all of us? That'd be awesome!" He excitedly said as he pumped his fist into the air. "Where are we meeting later?"

"In front of Ichiraku's. Though I'm sure we're not eating there." Sakura replied, a depressed groaning Naruto behind her. Hinata took this as her chance, walking up to him, asking to take a walk. Surprisingly for her, Naruto had agreed, his depressed mood gone. Luckily for the both of them, the others didn't notice. Well at least not Kiba and Shino.

"Alright then, we'll see you later! Hey-where's Hinata?" Kiba asked as he did a full 360, getting dizzy.

"Don't worry about her. You'll see her later though." Sakura answered for him, a bright grin on her face. Kiba and Shino glanced at each other-which was kind of awkward because of the sunglasses, but shrugged, heading off in the opposite direction Naruto and Hinata disappeared.

And now it was just Sasuke and Sakura.

"So," Sakura said as she turned around, her hands clasped behind her. Sasuke blinked and tried to control his racing heart.

"Yeah, want to get something to drink?" He suggested, giving her a wary glance through his onyx eyes. Sasuke watched as the pink kunoichi widened her eyes, a smile spreading across her lips.

"Sure!" As she walked beside him, he let out a breath of air, hoping that things would go well.

**WxWxW**

As soon as Sasuke had asked her, her stomach felt all fluttery inside. She knew this feeling. And it's one that she hadn't felt in so long, ever since he had left. She knew he was looking at the bracelet he had given her, and his silence proved that he was thinking of doing something. She knew what that something was, but she didn't want to think about it until it happened. Until she finds out what he feels for her. The two of them decided to stop by a nearby tea shop and sat down, ordering some lunch.

"Sakura," The pink haired kunoichi looked up to see Sasuke staring intently at her, his face expressionless. She winced inwardly, hating when he did that to everyone.

"Hm?" She asked as she took a sip of her tea, sighing as she set the cup down.

"You kept the bracelet." He said bluntly, his finger pointing at the bracelet around her wrist. Sakura smiled and nodded as she fingered the beads.

"You gave it to me," She softly replied, her eyes softening. Silence came for a few seconds before Sasuke began eating his lunch quietly. She joined him only a second later, his presence keeping her calm. As she ate, a single thought kept wrapping around her head, should she tell him? What if he doesn't like her back? What will happen then?

"-kura," Snapping her head up, she met Sasuke's astonished onyx eyes and blinked repeatedly, clearing her head.

"Yes?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he put his chopsticks on the tip of his lips.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked in a low voice, giving her a concerned raise of his eyebrow. Sakura widened her eyes for a moment but stuttered out a yes, taking a sip of her tea.

Damn, what was she doing? You can settle things out later, just focus on eating and you'll be fine! Or so she thought. Once the two of them were finished eating, they stepped outside to see the sun beginning to come down. The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder through the crowd, when Sasuke decided to say something.

"After dinner, come outside." He quietly said, his hands shoved in his pockets. Sakura nodded in reply and assumed that they were parting ways to get ready.

"Sure, I'll see you later then!" She cheerfully exclaimed as she walked off in a different direction from him, waving. Sasuke simply gave her a small nod before disappearing into the crowd once more.

Sakura let out a really big sigh as she leaned against a wall, her hand against her heart. Just what the hell was going on with her? And what did Sasuke mean? She shook her head in between her hands and told herself to forget it as she went home to get ready for the dinner tonight.

Hopefully she'd have a better state of mind at the dinner later.

**WxWxW**

As Sasuke stepped out of his apartment, he looked up into the sky and saw that the stars were out as the crowd in the streets became busier. He took a deep breath and let it out shortly before locking his door behind him, making his way down the steps. While he was making his way home from eating lunch with Sakura, he had decided on the location, and if they chose _that _restaurant, then it would be really near to it.

Shoving his hand in his pockets, he acted emotionless on the outside when in reality, his stomach had a gut feeling which he couldn't swallow down. Wearing a black button down t-shirt and blue pants, he came in front of Ichiraku's restaurant to see some of the others already there, chatting excitedly. Approaching Shino, he nodded in greeting, hoping to somehow strike up a conversation with him. Sai was also in the group, talking with a smile on his face, his usual black long sleeve shirt and pants on. Before the Uchiha could manage to even say "hello" to the Aburame, a loud yell made everyone all stop talking to look over at a running Naruto.

"I'M NOT LATE AM I?" He yelled as he came to a stop, panting as he leaned on his knees. Lee came up to him and patted his shoulder, grinning.

"NO OF COURSE NOT MY YOUTHFUL FRIEND! Everyone is still not here, so we are waiting." He explained with that 'youthful' tone of his. Naruto nodded as he tried to regain his breath, sighing as he stood back up.

"Hey guys," Everyone turned around to see Sakura standing in a white kimono with red flowers on it, Hinata standing next to her in a dark blue kimono with golden specs on them. Tenten burst from the crowd, a light blush on her face as she hugged the both of them.

"You guys look awesome!" She complimented as Ino came up behind her to squeal in delight too.

"I just absolutely love your kimono!" She exclaimed to the both of them, a shining gleam in her eyes.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at this and turned to his friends, seeing them all roll their eyes in unison. _Girls, _they all thought at the same time.

"Oi, everyone! Where are we going to eat?" Chouji asked as he gained everyone's attention. The group glanced over at the person who arranged everything, looking expectantly. Sakura chuckled and scratched her cheek sheepishly, rubbing her foot against the ground.

"What about there?" She pointed to Chouji's favorite barbeque restaurant, immediately earning a cheer of approval.

"So who's gonna be paying?" Kiba shouted out as they headed inside, Akamaru already behind him, his tail wagging. Instantly, all heads turned to Shikamaru, a grin on their faces. The Nara tried to stare defiantly back at them, but he groaned and shook his head, patting his wallet in sorrow.

"Troublesome," He muttered under his breath as everyone laughed, pushing him into the restaurant. Immediately as soon as they all got in, they all got mixed up getting to their separate tables. Somehow it ended up like this; Naruto, Hinata, Chouji, Sai, Ino, and Shikamaru at one table, while at the other one was; Sakura, Sasuke, Shino, Lee, Tenten, Kiba, and Neji.

As everyone got settled, they all thanked Shikamaru for the treat out, earning them a mutter of 'troublesome' once more. Sasuke glanced at his new word deprived companion and was about to strike up a conversation with him again when Lee interrupted loudly.

"I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE A TOAST, TO SAKURA-SAN'S SAFE RETURN!" He exclaimed as he lifted his drink up, the others joining in with him.

"YEAH!"

"Welcome back Sakura!" Tenten happily said as she clinked her cup with hers, grinning. The pink haired kunoichi smiled as all of her friend's glasses clinked with hers.

The night went on as everyone joked around, loud bustling laughter coming from both sides when suddenly a certain someone decided to pop in. All heads turned as they recognized the person, smiles appearing on their lips.

"Tsunade-sama!" The Hokage grinned as she waved hello to everyone, a proud smile on her face.

"Alright, let's get to drinking!" She cheered as she sat herself down next to Naruto, grinning. The blonde hyperactive ninja gulped in nervousness as the Hokage began to order her first round. Suddenly, it seemed like sitting on this side was a bad idea for him.

Suddenly, a few more heads popped in and the teens exclaimed once more as their senseis stepped in, sitting on both sides. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched slightly as Guy took a seat next to Lee, flashing them all a shining grin. Kakashi also sat at their table, grinning as he took out his familiar orange book.

To him, it seemed like it was going to be a long, eventful night.

**WxWxW**

Everything seemed to be going well until Sakura heard her name being mentioned on the other side. Turning her head, she tried to listen more closely when Tsunade's head appeared over the divider, a grin on her drunken face.

"Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked nervously as the Hokage marched over and took her arm, pulling her to the other side.

"Sakura-san, do not leave us!" Lee exclaimed on the other side, his voice rising up to a shrill. The pink haired teen gave Naruto's side a quirky smile as Tsunade hooked her arm around her neck, nearly choking her to death.

"Sakura dear, you need to get a man," Said teen was surprised to hear that that sentence _wasn't _from her Master. Glancing over to the side, Kurenai hiccupped as she took another swig of her drink.

"K-kurenai-sensei?" Hinata worriedly said, putting a hand on her teacher's shoulder. Kurenai glanced over at her student with her red eyes and smiled, patting the Hyuga's head softly.

"You're ahead of the game Hinata, already getting yourself a man." She loudly said, pointing over at Naruto with a scowl. Everyone at that table froze for a second as Hinata lowered her head, her face becoming super beet red.

"Kurenai-sensei…I-I think that's enough." Ino stuttered as she wrapped her hand around the bottle of sake. Before she could even pull it out of her hands, Kurenai stood up and wandered to the other table, going off about how men can be sometimes jerks.

Suddenly it became a table hopping business, everyone switching tables quickly, drops of sake spilling the floor. Sakura could hardly believe what was happening when Tenten appeared in front of her, a confused look on her face.

"What the fu-" She disappeared, only to be replaced with Lee who was also heavily drunk which was odd.

"Herrrooo Sakura-chyaaaan~!" He greeted as he waved girlishly. Sakura quirked her eyebrow and waved back at him before he was pulled away once more. Sasuke sat in his spot, an irritated look on his face.

"Hey," He managed to say before his body was switched again to be Naruto.

"This is soo cool~!" The Uzumaki said excitedly as he disappeared again. Sakura ran a hand down her face, sighing when a hand found itself on her shoulder. Tsunade looked at her with a sober look and put down her bottle of sake.

"Listen Sakura, even though Kurenai was drunk she was right. You've got the looks, and the personality, now all you need is a man to make it perfect." She softly said, patting her cheek before standing up to grab the now presently flying people in her hands, stopping all of the action.

"Alright…the after party starts…._now!" _Cheers erupted all around as the flying resumed once more, dishes clattering. Some of the quiet people decided to leave though, like Shino, Kakashi, and Asuma who all decided to take a 'walk' while the remaining people were caught in the whirlwind of drunkenness.

Before Sakura was captured in it as well, she managed to slip out of the restaurant unnoticed and sighed as the silence surrounded her. Boy was she happy that they made Shikamaru pay the bill. She wondered what the place would look like tomorrow….

"Hey," Turning around, Sasuke came out from behind the paper banner with an amused look on his face.

"Hi," Sakura replied softly as the Uchiha stood beside her, his hands in his pockets.

"Want to take a walk?" He asked as he glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow. Sakura tilted her head to the side and looked over her shoulder just in time to avoid a flying sake bottle.

"Sure," She agreed as the two of them went down the street, the night sky gazing down on them. The silence was very calming as they wandered down a familiar road. Widening her eyes slightly, she saw the stone bench that had ended everything when she was younger. Sasuke went in front of her and sat down on the bench, looking up at her with a curious gaze.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he scooted over to the side for more room. Sakura blinked a couple times before shaking her head, sitting down.

"N-nothing, it's nothing." She replied as she looked down at her hands, lacing her fingers together. Memories of Sasuke leaving appeared in the back of her mind but she forgot about them when said Uchiha started talking.

"Does it remind you of the time I-"

"Yes," She cut in, smiling at him with a softened gaze. Sasuke nodded as he took a breath, letting it out slowly. His heart was racing and yet, he couldn't get the words out to her! Should he just…go out and _tell _her? Or…or….

"I'm sorry," He lifted his head in surprise when Sakura suddenly spoke. "For acting really mean to you during that mission. I was just really hurt when you all left." She lowered her eyes from his, her eyes clouding with emotion.

"Sakura," He whispered, taking her hand gently in both of his. It was warm and it sent a burst of warmth through his stomach.

"To feel like I had no talent at all was just the worst, and when you left with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei, I-I didn't know what to do. I thought to myself, do I keep being this weak type of person, or do I step forward and get stronger? And when you all came back, Naruto didn't even notice that I had changed in some way! To think that idiot-"

"Sakura," The pink haired kunoichi turned her head over to the Uchiha who was looking at her intently. "You've changed. Everybody knows that. And they're happy that you realized who you were really were. I can tell that Naruto has noticed, he's just-Naruto. You don't need to prove who you are anymore. You're perfectly fine with who you are…." He took a short breath, his heart racing a mile a minute as he said it.

"I love you for who you are."

Sakura widened her eyes at this, shocked for a second. Did….did he just…? Lowering her head, her lips curved into a smile, slowly getting wider. She lifted her head to meet Sasuke's gaze and smiled as she squeezed his hand. She stared into his eyes, the onyx eyes that she fell in love with, the ones who stared back at her with the same emotion.

"I love you too," She softly said as she leaned her head against his shoulder, hoping to enjoy this warmth for the rest of her life. The two of them gazed up into the sky, the stars shining down on them as they sat there on the bench that had ended everything.

Now that bench would become their beginning.

**WxWxW**

**Author's Note: **…..I really hope that the confession wasn't lame….I really really hope it wasn't…..if it was….well then you can see how 'inexperience' I am when it sorta comes to things like this….If it wasn't lame, then I hand you these stuffed big dango family plushies! I want to say thank you for putting all your support into this story! And do let me know if you would like a sequel! Just add in the review what you'd like the sequel to be about, and I'll take that idea into consideration! I'm so thankful for all of your support and I do hope that you continue to support my other stories! I'll see you all in my other stories~!

-FallenWing21


	20. Chapter 20: Epilogue

**Alright…I realized just now that I should've done this before I started the sequel for my Naruto story…so…here's an epilogue for the next story! I hope it catches your attention and gets you pumped to read the second story! I'll do my best to update as much as I can! **

Epilogue

**WxWxW**

"Takashi,"

"Haru,"

The two former best friends glared at each other as they stood apart on the rocky terrain on top of a mountain. The silver haired Jounin pulled out a kunai knife and moved into a defensive stance, Takashi doing the same. Clouds passed over the full moon, casting shadows over Takashi's figure, bringing Haru back into the past for only a moment. Then as he tensed, he jumped forward, his arm pulled back as he descended on his former friend.

"I believed that Naruto could bring you back to us! Why won't you listen to a word he says?!" Haru yelled as he clashed weapons with him, switching to taijutsu in between, avoiding a kick to the head. Takashi simply scowled back at him, his face showing no emotion as he fought back.

"I don't need to be brought back. I've grown used to living in solitude now." He replied, resulting in Haru widening his eyes in shock, instantly bringing his arm forward to cuff him across the cheek.

"Don't you realize that there are people waiting for you to return!?" The silver haired teen snarled as he grabbed a handful of Takashi's collar, smacking his forehead into his.

"No one is waiting for me anymore. I know even you gave up on me after I nearly killed you." Takashi coldly replied as he shoved Haru off of him, pulling the sword that was strapped to his back.

"I can bring you back! I know I can!" Haru insisted as he stuck his hand into his weapons pouch, his hand wrapping around a scroll. Takashi smirked bitterly at him as his sword suddenly appeared with inscriptions, written with symbols that said, _To Be Sealed Into Darkness Forever_

"Even if you did try, you'd never succeed. I can never step back into the light. Nor do I want to." Haru gritted his teeth in anger as he pulled out the scroll and unrolled it, immediately summoning something just as he saw Takashi charge towards him. Haru grabbed the silver staff that came out of the scroll and plunged it into the ground, just as Takashi was a foot away from him.

Pouring his chakra into the staff, a blue hued wall expanded from the staff, creating a shield in between Takashi and Haru. As they glared at one another, the blue shield hummed with the consistency of the chakra being poured in. When he spotted the orange uniform dash past him, he grinned as he deactivated the shield.

Naruto pulled his arm back and punched him straight in the face, not giving him time to recover as he grabbed Takashi's collar and swung him in mid air, throwing him up high. As a pink haired kunoichi appeared next to the dazed Takashi, she frowned in concentration as she slammed her chakra infused fist into his stomach, sending him straight into the ground. As Sakura landed on the ground smoothly, Sasuke and Kakashi appeared beside her and crowded next to Takashi. As he opened his bleary eyes, he scowled in disgust as he saw Naruto's cheeky grin looking down at him. It was one second of cheerfulness before his grin was wiped off into a serious looking frown.

"Oi, you better listen this time," Sasuke warned in a low tone as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Takashi suddenly burst into laughter as if he had no injuries and surprised everyone by scrambling forward and lunging towards Sakura. Reacting quickly, she ducked out of the way and joined her group again when she widened her eyes.

"Not this again!"

A glowing object was placed in front of their eyes, its glow beginning to become brighter as Takashi laughed insanely, his voice reaching to the sky. Suddenly there was an explosion of white light, resulting in everyone shielding their eyes.

**WxWxW**

**BOOM. EPILOGUE RIGHT THERE. Or at least I hope. :P Please go check out the second story! I hope it will be as great as the first! Leave a review of what you thought of the epilogue! **

**FallenWing21**


	21. Sequel Is Up

**NO. THIS ISN'T AN UPDATE. I'm just giving you all a message...**

**Hi guys! The sequel is already posted! I've got three chapters up and just thought that I should share this knowledge in case some of you didn't know.**

**Hope you all enjoy it! It's ACTION PACKED and FILLED WITH AWESOME FIGHT SCENES. Go read it!**

**By the way, am I a good writer for fight scenes? Someone just told me and I was surprised. Just wanted to say that. Haha.**

**Go take a look at the sequel, A Friend Wrapped in The Shadows.**

**Go.**

**Now.**

**Get.**

**Read It.**

**...**

**ENJOY!**

**Please go read it guys! Just give it a try! :)**

**Love you guys!**

**FallenWing21**


	22. Chapter 21: Why Isn't She Coming

**Hey guys! Hopefully you'll all read this. This is just me carrying out a request from a fellow reviewer~ I guess you all deserve an explanation to why Sakura wasn't able to come with the rest of Team 7 when Naruto and Sasuke left. So...here ya go. :)**

Why Isn't She Coming? 

**xXx**

**Scene when Sakura was left at the gates (located in Chapter 1)**

"Kakashi-sensei, are you sure we should be leaving Sakura-chan like this?" Naruto asked as they soared through the trees, on their way to the location of the mission. Sasuke cast his teacher a glance, the same question in his onyx eyes. The silver haired Jounin in question narrowed his eye at what Naruto was asking, almost wanting to turn around to take the pink kunoichi with them.

"...it's...better this way," He hesitantly replied as they grew further and further away from the village.

"How is this better? We're leaving her behind! She's gonna be all alone until we get back! She should be here. With us." Naruto persisted as he came up beside the elite Jounin, a wide look in his blue eyes.

"She's a part of Team 7 too," Sasuke chimed in quietly as he stuck to the back of the formation.

"She is. But she just couldn't come on this mission with us." He said as he met the Uzumaki's gaze seriously.

"But _why!?" _Naruto and Sasuke exclaimed at the same time. Kakashi winced at their desperate tone to know the reason. He stopped on a nearby branch and put his hand on the trunk to steady himself. The two shinobi stopped next to him, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Sakura...is trying to figure out how she's going to progress." Kakashi replied, trying to be as vague as possible.

"Huh?" Naruto drawled out as he raised an eyebrow at the silver haired Jounin. Awkward under the two ninja's burning gazes, he scratched the back of his head, letting out a chuckle.

"She'll be fine, Naruto, Sasuke. Don't worry about her. Now, come on. We need to go." He said as he took off again, the two having no choice but to follow.

What Naruto and Sasuke didn't know was the amount of guilt that was buried deep inside their teacher. Emotions like that never really bothered him but at that moment, the guilt grew inside him, making his stomach twist. If only he had noticed sooner...

He knew it was his fault. Even if Sakura said it wasn't, it actually was.

**xXx**

**Scene that was not included in the story. (Deleted Scene xD)**

"You're not letting her come? Why not? She's a part of Team 7, Hokage-sama." Kakashi retorted as he stood in front of the Hokage's desk, his eye trained on the elite kunoichi.

"I'm sorry but I cannot say the reasons to you. You'll have to ask Sakura yourself. She seems worried about something lately. Perhaps you haven't noticed?" Tsunade inquired as she quirked an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Kakashi thought for a moment, different possibilities running through his head at that moment. Shaking his head, he cleared his throat and bowed to his superior.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama." He quietly said before exiting the room. Walking down the hall, his quick mind centered around one or two possibilities now as now made it his top priority to find the pink haired kunoichi.

He was her teacher for goodness sake! He should've seen it sooner! He was too preoccupied with Naruto and Sasuke's training to even notice how Sakura felt about the situation. But now she's made her decision to not go, and it's all his fault.

It was nearing sunset and he still hadn't found the cheerful kunoichi. The streets were beginning to clear as the townspeople began heading back to their homes. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he strolled through the streets, gazing up at the sky when he caught something from the corner of his eye. Staring out at the old training grounds, he spotted a head of pink hair trying it out at the wooden posts.

Approaching her, he observed as she launched sidekicks and punches into the bag that was tied around the middle pole. Appearing on top of one of the wooden posts, he watched as she fell backwards at the sudden appearance. Gazing up at him, she gave him a bright smile as she picked herself up.

"Hello, Sakura," Kakashi greeted as he gave her a small wave. Now on her feet, Sakura nodded in greeting as the silver haired Jounin jumped off of the post.

"What's up, Kakashi-sensei?" She inquired as she gazed at him with curiosity.

"Well...I was talking to the Hokage and she..." He trailed off as he tried to figure out what to say. "What I mean is...is there anything wrong that you need to say out loud?" Kakashi let out after a few moments. There was a beat of silence before Sakura gave him a soft smile.

"Actually there is. I've decided...that I'm going to get stronger on my own." Sakura replied as she lowered her head, a shadow passing over her face. The silver haired Jounin widened his eye in astonishment, caught off guard by the news. He put a hand behind his head as he gazed down at his student who stood quietly in front of him.

"Sakura...what are you trying to say?" Kakashi quietly inquired as he kept his gaze on her. He noticed her grit her teeth as she tried to come up with a response.

"I'm...going to figure out my own style of fighting." She replied as she lifted her head and met his gaze seriously.

"You mean-you don't want me to train you?" He was surprised at her sudden decision to go off on her own. Sakura shook her head with a small smile as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"I know that you're busy helping Naruto and Sasuke out, so I want to try and find where my strength is."

"If you're upset about me spending too much time training them-"

"I'm not mad, Kakash-sensei. I've just realized." Sakura interrupted as she met his silver eye warmly. Kakashi remained silent for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

"So I take it that you're not going to come with us on the mission in a few days?" He softly inquired as Sakura closed her eyes for a moment.

"Nope. Sorry I can't come. I'm a part of Team 7 after all. I should go though, shouldn't I?"

"Based off of the contents of the mission...it seems like a pretty long journey. If you don't come, we could be gone a while." Sakura lowered her head as he said this, her clasped hands clenched tightly together. Kakashi noticed this, his gaze on her shaking hands.

"I want to..." She whispered in a longing voice, "...but I can't. However, I promise I'll be stronger by the time you get back. I'll promise you that so you'll know that leaving me behind wasn't the wrong decision." She finished as she unclenched her hands, letting them hang by her sides. Kakashi took her words to heart, as he let out another breath.

"...I see then. And you're sure about your decision to stay? Naruto and Sasuke will be torn."

"Yes, I'm sure. And I'm sure those two will be alright." Sakura replied as she flashed Kakashi a bright grin.

"Well then, why don't you meet us at the gates on the day of our mission? We can say our goodbyes then." He decided, he couldn't force her to come. That would be just wrong. And if she wanted it this way, then he would allow her to do it.

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei."

The only thing that caused Sakura's in the end sadness was the fact that the three of them had been gone for three years. She was unable to see them till they returned on their own. Not knowing if they would come back alive or not.

**xXx**

**Hmm. How was that for a sort of recap? Does it make any sense at all? And the mission that Kakashi and the others are going on...I purposely didn't describe what it was so that you as a reader could imagine a mission yourself. :) I feel like the last few sentences didn't make exact sense. Guhhh. Hopefully this is enough to make an adequate explanation~ see you all in the sequel!**


	23. Chapter 22: Thank You!

Hey my lovelies!

I know this story is already finished and everything, but I wanted to do this.

I'd really like to thank you all for supporting what I write and for taking the chance to see if this story was your style. Seeing a new email saying someone put a favorite on this story or followed it, literally made me smile!

And I really really just wanted to thank you all for sticking with story, even if times didn't go as planned in some of the chapters.

Your support means a lot to me and I hope to continue to have it as we go on another journey! (aka le sequel XD)

Stay awesome guys~

-FallenWing21


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